Drowning
by AnimeFreakSquee
Summary: It was her dream to leave the small town of Pallet. But things change when Bella finds herself being targeted by the infamous Team Rocket. Can her friends save her before she drowns? GaryxOC. Rated T for saftey.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a rewritten version of my latest **_**Pokémon **_**fic. I decided that my story was following a storyline that was overly used and was moving at a too fast pace. So, now I am rewriting it so that it is what I wanted. Here is the new prologue… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Prologue-Goodnight **

Darkness fell upon the small town of Pallet once more. Glimmering, silver stars decorated the ebony blanket. The small houses that littered the wide, open green plains were lit by golden lights. A silver, pale moon hung overhead. Life settled into a deep sleep outside of the small town, while life inside was preparing for a nights rest. That was the sight that filled my vision as I sat on the couch, gazing out of the window. The sound of the television filled the living room that I was in, but I was focused on the distant mountains. The desire to visit them filled my heart like a raging river.

"Irina! Bella! Go to bed. It's getting late." My father's voice said.

I jumped out of the chair and groaned; excitement would make sleep difficult. My small hands latched onto the large book, and lifted it off of the couch. I walked over to the rocking chair that was in a corner of the room, and stopped in front of the woman who occupied it. "Mommy." I said in a quiet, squeaky voice.

"Hm?" My mother glanced up at me, waiting for me to continue.

I held up the book to emphasize my point, "Please read this." Considering that I was only four at the time, my vocabulary was very limited.

My mother smiled at me, "You want a bedtime story?" I nodded and moved as she rose from the chair. She carefully removed the book from my small hands and led me up the stairs, down the hallway, and into my bedroom. The room was filled with toys, and everything that a small child that lived in a small town could ask for. We crossed the room so that I could jump onto my bed. My mom sat down on the bed and moved so that I could cuddle with her on my pillow. She opened the book, and began reading the words within. I was entranced by the stories that had been engraved in the paper before. Tales of legendary pokemon that have only appeared during the wee hours of night, and then disappeared never to be seen again until hundreds of years later.

Nearly an hour later, I interrupted my mother to talk, "Wow! 'Dis is so cool! I wanna be a pokiemon trainer!" The enthusiasm in my voice was evident. "'Cause, I can catch all lots and lots of pokiemon!"

My mother laughed, "Of course you can, but I'd like if you waited until you were fifteen first."

"But Mommy!" I whined, "I wanna be a trainer now so I can have cool pokemon like Mew, Lugia, and Nidoqueen!"

My mother's starter was a Nidoran, which she affectionately raised to become a Nidoqueen in her youth, "I know, but being a pokemon trainer is a _big _responsibility. Just promise me that you'll wait until you're a big girl, and then you can catch all the cool pokemon you want."

"Really?" I asked, feeling the excitement beginning to flare to life once more. But then I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed, "But I'm probly just gonna be another boring trainer…"

My mother paused. She seemed to consider something before speaking again, "You know, you're not like other children," I looked up at her, interested in her words, "you're the only little girl your age that has knowledge of one really rare, one-of-a-kind pokemon."

"I do?" I asked.

She nodded and smiled softly, "Uh-huh. Do you know what that pokemon is?" I remained silent. She giggled, "That pokemon is…"

**End of the prologue. It's really short and it's a cliffy. The next chapter should be up soon, so please review… **


	2. Chapter 2

**And the next chappie is up. Once again, I hope for some reviews. This fic is going to start out like most of these stories do, but the storyline will change as it goes on. So please bear with me…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 1: Starting **

"_The best proof of love is trust_."

-Joyce Brothers

My eyelids slid open like curtains revealing a silver-blue stage. The moon reflected against my pale flesh, making me seem more like a ghost than usual. The scene replayed in my mind, but nothing came. _What was its name? _I wondered, feeling let down by the fact that I was unable to remember the name. I breathed an annoyed sigh and averted my gaze to the parchment that sat upon my lap. I was sitting on my bed, writing an essay to send with my papers to the Indigo League. Despite the promise we made all those years ago, my mother decided to let me enter the league at age fourteen. When becoming a trainer, one must sign papers and write an essay, then send it to those in charge of admitting new trainers. It was tedious work, but worth it in the end. Lucky for me, I was a talented writer; so a simple essay was easy work. My mechanical pencil began to scrawl letters onto the paper as inspiration struck. Hours of sitting on my bed, thinking of what to write and now I finally could continue. _Please let it be good enough. _I thought as I finished the essay nearly three hours later.

I slipped off of my bed and crossed the bedroom. It had changed drastically since then. It resembled the room of a tomboyish, teenage girl. Old toys were locked away in my closet, gathering dust after years of being untouched. My right hand grabbed the doorknob and swung the wooden door open, allowing me access to the hallway beyond. I carefully crept out of my room, down the wooden staircase, and into the living room. It was dark, except for one nightlight that allowed some light to flow. My eyes were already adjusted to the dark, so navigating the room to the front door would be easy enough. Even though I still wore my pajamas, I went outside and began making my way down the street. Moonlight lit my path, and soon I found myself at post office. I opened the dark blue mailbox and dropped my admittance papers and essay into it before turning and retreating to my beloved home once more…

Torture. That was only word that could describe what the next several weeks had been. Not even the school that my mother had enrolled me in compared to anxiousness that consumed me. I soon began expecting the worst, and wondered if I was even good enough to be a trainer. That was when it arrived. The letter that every ten through sixteen-year-old in Pallet had been waiting for. This was not that many considering how few people there were in the small town. I could count the amount of possible trainers on one hand. When my letter arrived, I sprinted out of the house and to the mailbox, snatched it out of the blue container, and sprinted back to my house. My legs carried my up the stairs, down the hallway, and into my bedroom. I collapsed to the floor, after having finished half a marathon, and gasped for precious oxygen. I was never good at running. I learned that in gym class a few years ago. I ripped the letter open, and began reading the words. I was expecting to be rejected. Wrong. No, instead I was accepted as one of the League's newest trainers. I cheered in excitement and did a little victory jig. As the end of the school year neared, I found myself making a list of things I would need. Soon, my suitcase and messenger bag were packed full of clothes, a sleeping bag, food, beverages, and anything else I thought or really did need.

When the awaited day had arrived, I found myself clumsily rolling out of bed after waking to the sound of a screaming alarm clock. I smacked the clock and knocked it off of my nightstand, while successfully falling off of the bed and to the floor, and onto my face. I sat there and groaned, wishing that I were a little more graceful before remembering why that accursed alarm clock had been set in the first place. I gathered myself and went to the bathroom after grabbing some extra clothes. The warm water of the shower was welcome, and I woke me up faster than breakfast would have. After a fast shower, I stepped out and in front of the mirror. I paused while drying myself off to examine my reflection. It looked so unfamiliar to me. My short, wet blonde hair stuck to my pale face; silver-blue irises gazed back at me. My bust was not so modest for a fourteen-year-old, so there people who often mistakened me for an upperclassmen. However, my childish facial features would tell them otherwise. I slipped on the needed undergarments, and then my outer outfit. A slipped on a long-sleeved, black form-fitting shirt; the ebony colored sleeves were so long that they covered half of my hands. A white, short-sleeved t-shirt with a sentence written in kanji on the front overlapped the black shirt. A pair of khaki pants covered my legs; black and white sneakers were my preferred footwear. I slipped on a dark brown belt; it was designed to hold six, small pokeballs. I quickly dried my hair and brushed it before packing all of the hair care products that I would need.

My legs carried me down the wooden stairs and into the living room. There, I dropped my bag and walked to the kitchen. The delicious smell of bacon told me that my mother was awake. I was right. She was standing in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the bacon on the stove. My mother had extremely short blonde hair; it was exactly like mine. Her skin was pale and easily burnt, like mine. But she had a more mature, and less excited and childlike facial features. Her irises were light brown, instead of being silver-blue. Also, unlike me, she had a modest bust. She was around forty-seven. Her name was Maria Isabella Vanielle. I had been named after her, seeing as my name was Isabella Delia Vanielle. My middle name came from her best friend, Delia Ketchum. Our last name was my mother's maiden name, and not my father's surname. My parents divorced sometime when I was eleven-years-old. My father had fallen on hard times, and began hanging around a crowd that my mother could not accept. She did not want me, or my sister, to be around alcoholics, and foul-mouthed adults. Our father had changed greatly, too. He developed a horrible temper, and was drunk almost all the time unless he was going to work. Then he was just annoyed. In the end, she became fed up with what he had become and divorced him. She decided that beer and his own desires were far more important than his family, and ended their relationship. My mother took custody of both Irina Christina Vanielle, and I and had our surname changed to her maiden name. What crushed me was when I heard that our father willingly gave up his rights to visit us, and without our mother even suggesting it. She would never go that far, and even she was shocked by this. Irina thought it was good; she lost interest in even looking or talking to our father. But I wanted to respect the fact that he was my parent and visit him sometimes. That idea was smashed when he gave up his rights, and therefore was not allowed to even see us. So I came to the conclusion that he had given up. He enjoyed his own life more than he loved us, and soon I came to resent the man. After the divorce, Erik Raine fled the Kanto region and moved across the country to the Sinnoh region. The last time I saw anything of him was on the news. He was elected as the newest member of the Elite Four of Sinnoh, and he focused mainly on fire-types. His first pokemon was actually a Growlithe, and by the time he challenged the Indigo League it was an Arcanine. I had my father's beautiful, silver-blue irises and energetic, youthful facial features. I inherited my paternal grandmother's, not-so-modest bust from his side of the gene pool.

I had developed my own personality, like most people, but I did share some inner traits with my parents. I was a very soft person, and disliked conflict, just like my mother. It was difficult for me to think of an insult that was not corny or just outright pathetic, and my peers would often tease me for it. I was also very quiet, and so a majority of my peers thought that I was mentally slow because I hardly said anything in class. I was the stereotypical, broad-minded pacifist girl. However, I had also inherited my father's temper. When angered, I could change into a completely different person. I would confuse others with insults that would hit home, and would reveal a wide vocabulary full of words that they have never even heard before. Pallet Town was small, so the people here had very limited minds. Reading was not very popular with the kids in the school I attended, so their vocabulary was very short. I enjoyed reading as a pastime. My grades were just C's and B's, with one or two A's. So I was an average student. Anyway, when my temper flared, I became a vicious viper. Unlike my father, though, I would not scream and holler like a small child. Instead, I would become very calm, and my words would reveal the anger that I felt towards whoever sparked it.

My older sister, Irina, was different from me in every way. She had long, light brown hair that was the same as our fathers. She inherited our mother's eyes, and her skin could actually tan. She had a modest bust, and was an inch or so shorter than me. She was around eighteen-years-old, and was somewhere else in the country. Irina moved away when she was fifteen to find and capture all of Eevee's different evolutionary forms. This ambition was given life when our father gave her an Eevee. She trained the pokemon with all of her heart until it was ready, and then used a Water Stone to evolve it into a Vaporeon. She left afterwards to pursue her goals. The last time I spoke with her over the phone, she had a Vaporeon, a Flareon, a Jolteon, and another Eevee. I was jealous that she could become a trainer before me, but that was to be expected since she was the older out of the two of us. At the time she was in the Johto region, trying to obtain an Espeon. She tried to get an Umbreon, but she had difficulty finding a Moon Shard. Now she was pulling her hair out of her skull (figuratively) in an attempt to find a Sun Shard. After obtaining both of those forms, she planned to travel to Sinnoh to get the last two.

"Good morning," Mom said. She turned to me and smiled.

I waved lightly, "Morning." I crossed the room and quickly prepared a bacon sandwich. I ate it quickly and brushed my teeth, then packed the rest of the bathroom supplies that I would need. Once I was ready, I ran downstairs and embraced my mother. She hugged me back, and I could tell that she did not want me to go. She was worried. I could not blame her; it was a mother's job to be concerned for her child. I smiled at her reassuringly, "I'll be fine, Mom."

"I know." She whispered. She kissed my cheek and watched as I pulled away and walked out the front door. I hesitated to take a quick look of the small town that I had been raised in. I was a little nervous about going to the big cities, but it excited me at the same time. I did not want to be a trainer so that could I become a Pokemon Master. No, I wanted something else. I was becoming a trainer so that I could visit faraway places, and see all kinds of different breeds and types. I was also searching for the Legendary Pokemon worldwide. This desire to find the legendary pokemon was sparked when I was little. I could clearly remember befriending a Mew, a rare psychic-type that was said to be extinct. But it disappeared one day. It happened when I met a strange man that was a pokemon collector. He noticed us playing in a nearby field, and asked me about the Mew. It fled after he told me that he would pay for it, and I have not seen it since. Only my mother, myself and one other person knew about the Mew, and I was heartbroken after it disappeared. I managed to find the name of the man; he was called Lawrence III, and was collecting rare pokemon. My next rare sighting happened when I was in a trip to the Orange Islands with my family. I was nine-years-old when we sailed on the ocean, enjoying the wonderful weather. That changed when I fell off of the boat and into the cold water below. My parents nearly had a heart attack; my mother quickly called forth her Seadra and ordered it to search for me. When it returned without me, she burst into tears and my father prepared to jump in after me. I could not remember much from when I was in the water. All I could remember was floating in the freezing liquid, wishing that my parents would save me. That was when a loud wail filled the waters, shocking me out of my lifeless stupor. I glanced toward the source of the noise, and to my surprise there was a strange, pure white creature swimming toward me. It had a blue stomach, and dark blue feathers. It reminded me of a birdlike creature. I grew fearful of it, but all of my emotion changed when it allowed me to hang onto its back. The creature brought me to the surface of the water, and I was reunited with my family.

After that trip, I checked the book we had of all known legendary pokemon. It fit the description of Lugia, the legendary bird of the ocean. Since then, I have had a desire to find every legendary and sketch a picture of it. Yes. I wanted to sketch a picture of all of the legendary pokemon. Not catch them, like most would try to do. I researched each of them, and learned that there was a reason that the four birds of legend should remain wild. Articuno, the ice bird, was supposed to keep track of the element of ice. Moltres, the fire bird, was to keep track of the element of fire. Zapdos, the thunder bird, was to keep the lightning element in tact. Last was Lugia, the water bird. It was Lugia's job to keep the others in line. Out of all legendaries, there was one that I wanted to see the most. Mew. I wanted to find the Mew that I had befriended years ago, and apologize for what that man had tried to do. I knew that the chances of finding Mew were extremely slim, but I wanted to try anyway. So there I was, walking through Pallet and towards the laboratory that was owned by a famous researcher: Professor Samuel Oak. He was a close family friend, and I knew him my entire life. He would baby-sit Irina and I were our parents were gone. When he was stuck with us, he would spend the night teaching us about pokemon and showing us the different types. He, along with my mother, were the only ones that encouraged my dream to find the legendary pokemon. He was the only other person to know about my Mew, and he was disappointed when it fled. Because of our family being close to his, that meant that I found myself in the presence of his grandchildren, Daisy and Gary. His grandson and I were close friends, along with Delia's son, Ash Ketchum. We were inseparable until the boys had a silly argument that ended with them becoming rivals. After that, Gary's negative traits began to come out. I slowly began losing interest in hanging out with him, and soon I found other friends.

The youngest Oak would begin his journey as a trainer on the same day as both Ash and me. I did remain friends with Ash in the end; he had more positive traits that made him a better person in my opinion. It did not take long for me to arrive at the Professor's lab. I opened the door without knocking, he did not care of I did that, and entered the laboratory. The lab was full of strange computers and shelves that were stuffed with pokemon books. I crossed the room and found Samuel Oak at his computer, looking something up. "Morning, Professor." I greeted with a light wave.

He turned to me and smiled, "Good morning, Bella," His right hand grabbed a bright red object and he walked up to me, "I already know why you're here, but I still need to check your ID."

I nodded and pulled out the card. There was a picture of me on it, and all of the information needed. I handed it to Oak. He took it and went to his computer. After a few seconds he handed both of the items I would need back to me. I looked at the red pokédex, knowing full well what it was. "This pokédex will give you all of the information needed on the pokemon that you will see on your journey. It also holds your ID, so be sure to keep track of it," I nodded. He turned away and approached a mechanical pedestal. The glass lifted, allowing me to see three pokeballs, "These are the starter pokemon that will be issued to you. The three main types are grass, water, and fire. You may choose any of them."

I grabbed the first pokeball and summoned whatever was inside. A light, blue/green pokemon appeared. Dark green spots added color to its flesh, and there was a healthy bright green bulb on its back. Sharp red eyes with white pupils glanced around the room. I held up the pokédex and researched some of the basic information on it. _Bulbasaur, the grass and poison type. They are scarce in the wild, and usually found near fresh water and hidden places such as gardens. They are well-behaved pokemon, and are very loyal. They are easily raised, and are perfect for beginning trainers. _Choosing a starter that I could raise was a good idea, but it would be too simple to raise a Bulbasaur in my opinion. Plus, it did not seem very interested in me. The grass-type looked up at me and scoffed. I recalled it and placed the pokeball on the pedestal.

"Bulbasaur is not your type?" Professor Oak asked.

I shook my head, "Not really," I grabbed another one, "but I'll try this one." I summoned the pokemon within. A vibrant blue turtle with a brown shell that had a yellow stomach appeared. A small tail protruded from its rear, and bright purple irises gazed up at me. It stared at me for a few seconds, and shook its head. For some odd reason, it carried itself with an arrogant air. It reminded me of someone else. I checked my pokédex. _Squirtle, then water-type. They are scarce in the wild, but can be found in areas with fresh water. It is not regarded as one of the easiest or hardest to train, considering the temperament of its evolved forms and the Squirtle itself. _It sounded like a good pokemon to start with, but the Squirtle looked like it would not accept me as a trainer easily. I recalled it into its pokeball and then went for the third one. _If this one doesn't like me, then I'll choose Squirtle. _I thought as I summoned it. A light orange lizard with a peach stomach appeared before me. It had bright, sky blue eyes and a flame burned at the tip of its tail. I held out the pokédex. _Charmander, the fire-type. They are scarcely found in the wild. They stay near areas with very warm climates. They are the most mild-mannered of its evolved forms, and are often hard to train. _I thought about it.

It would be difficult to train a Charmander. But the idea of having a fire-type intrigued me. The Charmander slowly stretched its neck out to me and sniffed my legs. I patiently waited to see the results of its analysis. After a few seconds, the Charmander's nose began to twitch. It reared its head back, and I watched in shock as fire burst from its mouth. "CRAP!!!" I cried as I dropped to floor to evade the Ember attack. It stopped and used one claw to rub at its nose. I stared at it in shock, "Uh…did it just sneeze?"

"Yes, I think it did." Professor Oak said as he stood up.

Charmander turned its attention back to me. It was thinking deeply. After a few seconds, the fire-type ran up to me and embraced me. "Char char!" it cried happily. It took me a second to register its action, and I returned the embrace. _Figures that the pokemon that was hardest to raise would choose me. _I thought. _At least I'll have a challenge now. _I knew which pokemon I planned to choose.

"So is it Charmander then?" Professor Oak asked.

I nodded and smiled up at him, "Yup." I stood up with the Charmander in my arms. I shook Professor Oak's hand and said a small 'thank-you'.

"So you _did _come," A male voice said. I turned to the owner and gazed at him with a passive expression. A fourteen-year-old Gary Oak was standing at the door with his arms on his hips. He wore his usual cocky grin. He had medium length, red-brown hair that was spiked up in an odd style. His skin was darker than mine, and he had black irises. He wore a baggy, long-sleeved blue shirt and jeans to match. A green and yellow, 'Yin-Yang' necklace hung around his neck, and a pair of dark brown boots covered his feet. He carried a brown sack, and wore a belt that was made to carry six pokeballs. "And here I thought that you were gonna chicken out." Gary said as he crossed the room and stopped in front of me. He looked at my Charmander and shook his head, as if he were disappointed. _I must've gotten the pokemon that he wanted. _

He reached for one the pokeballs and summoned Squirtle. The two looked at each other, and a silent conversation past. Just as I expected. The Squirtle chose Gary; I thought that the two of them would be perfect for each other. Arrogant, and overly confident. Professor Oak took his ID and transferred it to his pokédex. Gary recalled Squirtle and turned to me, "Well, good luck," he began, "a no-talent trainer like you is gonna need all the luck you can get."

I narrowed my eyes at the boy, "Sure. Whatever. Charmander and I gonna kick your butt when the League rolls around." I declared.

"Is that challenge?" Gary's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Yes." I admitted lamely.

He smirked, "Fine. I'll kick 'yer butt the next time we meet, got it?" I nodded, accepting his challenge openly. 

"You kids," Professor Oak sighed, "should really learn to get along," We ignored him and continued to stare at each other. The man, who appeared to be in his early fifties, waited for us to do something. When we did not move for the next ten minutes, he began to get worried. "Gary? Bella? Hello?" He reached out to me and lightly shook my shoulder.

I blinked, "Wha…?"

"I win!" Gary cried triumphantly.

"Dangit." I muttered to myself. Professor Oak shook his head.

Gary turned away and began walking towards the exit, "Smell'ya later. I have better things to do." He left the lab. I said goodbye to Professor Oak, recalled Charmander, and left the lab too. There was a mob of people saying farewell to Gary. I walked past him and began making my way to Route One…

**End of the first chapter. The next one should be up soon. If anyone would like to add some OCs, please tell me…**


	3. Chapter 3

**And the next chapter is up. Red from the games will make an appearance in this fic, just not in this chapter. Sorry if this chapter is too short… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 2: Forests **

"_Dreams are today's answers to_

_Tomorrow's questions_."

-Edgar Cayce

The soft breeze danced through my blonde hair as I walked down Route One. A clear blue sky hung above me; there were very few ivory clouds. A wide, open field surrounded me. There were patches of tall grass. Some flocks of Pidgey and Spearow flew overhead every now and then, and the odd Rattata would run by. There were very few exciting pokemon near Pallet Town. Just the common ones that could be found everywhere. I thought about catching a Pidgey, but then decided against it. Charmander's third form could fly, so there was no use in having two flying types. I disliked having the same type, so catching a Pidgey was out of the question. Besides, I wanted to save my pokeballs for the exciting pokemon that could not be found near Pallet. Pokemon that would make trainers travel and search for. Reaching Viridian City was simple for me. The pokemon on Route One were too scared to challenge trainers, and I did not run into a single trainer on the road. Viridian was the only city I had ever been to, and I realized that it was not that big compared to others. After arriving there, I dropped by the center to eat a quick snack, and then I went to the Pokemart. There I bought some extra provisions before heading off towards the Indigo League.

I was not foolish enough to think that I was ready for the League. First, I needed eight badges to even be allowed in. Second, I needed to train an arsenal of six powerful pokemon to prepare for the skilled trainers that awaited us. I was moving towards the League so that I could see if there were any interesting pokemon there. I found a Spearow, a Rattata, and a Mankey with a very foul temper. I was about to leave when I noticed a small, light blue pokemon that was rabbit-like in appearance; the biggest difference was it lacked fur. There were a few dark blue spots on its body. Crimson irises were focused on something other than me. It had four whiskers. I pulled out my pokédex and quickly read its information to myself. _Nidoran, the female version. They are usually found in plains and the like. They are very docile pokemon and usually avoid battle. But if angered, they can become a force to be reckoned with. _I slipped the pokédex into my pocket and quickly summoned Charmander.

"Ready for our first battle, buddy?" I asked with a reassuring smile.

"Char char." The fire lizard nodded in agreement.

"Alright," I muttered as I grabbed an empty pokeball, "Use your Scratch attack." Charmander ran forward and attacked the Nidoran. Its claws brushed the blue pokemon's flesh, causing it to cry out in both surprise and pain. It jumped up and ran at Charmander. "Evade!" I cried. The fire-type rolled out of harm's way. "Ember!" I cried. A ball of fire escaped Charmander's mouth and engulfed the Nidoran. There was a cry of pain, and Nidoran began stumbling back and forth. I grabbed a pokeball and tossed it at the weakened pokemon. It hit, and absorbed the pokemon in crimson light. The pokeball sat there for a few seconds, trembling like a leaf in a windstorm. A click told me that I was the victor. I released a triumphant cry and scooped the pokeball into my hand.

"Woot! We did Charmander!" I embraced my starter, "Now our chances of competing in the Indigo League just increased." I could already imagine it. Both of them fully evolved and fighting other pokemon, and me taking the Champion title. I quickly erased the thought, though. I was getting ahead of myself, and I knew that overconfidence would be my downfall in the end.

"Jeez. One pokemon and you think your on top of the world," I turned towards the owner of that annoying voice. Gary Oak was standing nearby with a large group of cheerleaders behind him. He flashed his signature smirk, "That Nidoran isn't as strong as mine."

My eyebrows furrowed slightly, "And how would you know?"

"'Cause, someone as weak as you can't catch a strong pokemon. And girls are _always _weaker than boys." He said with a light shrug of his shoulders.

Sexist people annoyed me. Gary knew that what he had said hit home. My eyes narrowed into slits, "You wanna rephrase that?"

His smirk grew as he tore a pokeball from his belt, "Are you challenging me?"

"I…" I began, but I stopped in mid-sentence. _Do the one thing your enemy just can't stand: forgive them. _My mother's voice said. Picking a fight with Gary was immature and stupid. Nidoran was too injured to handle his pokemon, and I doubted that it would obey me immediately. Charmander would have a difficult time defeating two pokemon on its own; especially since one was a water-type. I sighed, "No." And stood up. I recalled Charmander into its pokeball and turned away.

Gary's eyes widened in surprise and one of his feet dug into the ground, "W-what? Hey! I thought…"

"No," I said firmly. I half-turned to him, "My pokemon are tired. They're in no condition to fight. I might fight you next time. See'ya." I waved at him and then walked away. Gary just stood there with a dumfounded expression on his face. _Take that! _I thought as I re-entered Viridian City and dropped by the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy, the woman in charge of the Center, healed my pokemon and offered a room. I refused the offer politely and continued on my way. I passed the Viridian City Gym on my way to Route Two. The Gym had been closed for some time, and I wondered if it would open soon. My legs carried me away from the building and towards Route Two…

Bug pokemon were the worst type in all of Kanto. That was my opinion on them, anyway. Viridian Forest was the last place that someone with a bug phobia would want to be. But there I was, walking through the deep forest like any other trainer. I nervously glanced around, fearful of the bugs that would jump out at any second. I made amends with Nidoran and apologized for stealing her freedom. She accepted my apology, and has been a good asset to my party ever since. A nice calm took hold of my heart after strolling through the forest without running into any bugs. That changed when I saw a Caterpie. A loud scream ripped through the forest as I went speeding down the forest path, waving my arms like a moron. I was running as fast as I could when suddenly, I tripped over a large rock and dropped to the ground. My body began rolling down a grass covered hill and smashed into the ground below. The entire forest spun in circles for several seconds. I sat up and shook my head, trying to regain my bearings.

I stumbled to my feet and glanced around. I was standing in a small patch of tall grass that was surrounded by tall trees. And a horde of Kakuna. My eyes nearly bugled out of my skull when I saw them. _Holy. Shat. _I stood there, trembling like a Vulpix in headlights. The Kakuna were all large, golden cocoons with large black eyes; which were all concentrated on my small frame. I gulped and slowly began backing away, while frantically looking around. I was surrounded on all sides. _Your kidding me…right? _My sense of balance and navigation were both atrocious; so, as expected, I tripped over something and fell on my rear. Bad move. All of Kakuna hissed in fear, which made me cringe, and slowly began to split open. Glowing, Beedrill slowly emerged from their cocoons. My jaw dropped, and I released another ear piercing scream. My body jerked around and I soon found myself sprinting through the forest. The buzzing of the Beedrill's wings echoed off of the trees, causing my heart rate to increase.

To my dismay, I tripped and fell onto my face. "Ow…" I groaned as I pushed myself off of the ground and rubbed my sore sniffer. I remembered why I had been running in the first place when the sound of buzzing caught my attention. I jerked around and began trembling in absolute terror as the Beedrill drew nearer.

"GET DOWN! Vulpix, Ember attack!"

The force of the words that appeared in my head pushed me downwards so that I was lying flat on my back. A stream of flames flew over me and straight into the horde of Beedrill. The bugs cried out in surprise and scattered; few of them stayed to fight whatever had attacked. "Quick Attack!" a male voice called. A flash of red flew past me and tackled one of the yellow insects to the ground. "Bite!" There were cries of pain, and then a feeling of heat as another Ember was used. The buzzing ceased. The sound of footsteps echoed off of the ground. "Are you OK?" a male voice asked. It was not Gary. Two hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a sitting position. I cocked my head to the side so that I could see the person that sat nearby. It was a boy, obviously. He had short, messy black hair and a skin tone that was between tan and pale. Worried, dark blue eyes gazed into my silver-blue diamonds. He wore a black and dark blue vest with a hood on the back, and a white t-shirt underneath. Dark blue, denim shorts went to his knees. Black and dark blue sneakers covered his feet, and black fingerless gloves covered his hands. He wore a belt that had a small pack on it; I guessed that there were pokeballs in it. I was right that he was a trainer when he looked away from me and whistled for something. He looked at me again and repeated his question.

I nodded, "Y-yeah."

"You shouldn't be wandering around the forest if you don't have any pokemon." He helped me to my feet.

I hid my hands behind my back and looked down sheepishly; I could feel the blush creeping onto my cheeks, "Actually I do…but I…er…thanks."

"Herpetophobia?" he asked. I nodded, feeling my face grew redder. "Is this your first time in Viridian Forest?"

I shook my head, "Second," I forced my voice to sound more brave than embarrassed,

"Thanks, again, for rescuing me. I'm a little scared of bugs, so I wasn't thinking when the Beedrill appeared. I just ran. But I'll be fine after I get out of this forest." I explained vaguely. I was not willing to admit that I had tripped down a hill and stumbled upon a nest of Kakuna and Beedrill.

He chuckled, "Well, your lucky that Vulpix and I came when we did."

"Vulpix?" He gestured towards whatever he had whistled at. My jaw fell slightly when I saw the adorable little pokemon. It was a small fox-like creature, with dark reddish/brown fur and little dark brown paws. It had a white stomach. Fiery orange fur covered its head like orange curls; six small tails of the same color protruded from its rear. Curious, light brown irises gazed at me.

I pulled out my pokédex and aimed it at the pokemon. _Vulpix, a fire-type. They usually have a friendly, if not spoiled, disposition. They can be found in either grassy plains or near active volcanoes. _This Vulpix was female. _It's so cute! _I thought as put my pokédex away. "Wow, its really adorable. Where'd you get it?" I asked.

"My mom gave it to me." the boy said.

I held out my hand, "Cool. My name's Bella, by the way."

"Gabriel," He shook my hand. He reached into his pack and pulled out a pokeball, "Good job, Vulpix. Return," The fire-type vanished in a crimson light. "So I guess that you don't have any bug-types?" I nodded, "And I guess that calling on my Caterpie would be a bad idea?" I nodded before he even finished the sentence. He grinned, "So where're you going?"

"Pewter City. I'm entering the Indigo League, so I'll need to start collecting eight badges." I explained vaguely.

"I'm heading in the same direction. If you want, I can get you out of this forest." Gabriel offered.

I smiled, "Really?" It was a relief that I could avoid as many bugs as possible.

"It'd be my pleasure." I breathed a sigh of relief at his words, and soon found myself walking down a path with Gabriel beside me. It was a little odd traveling in the company of a stranger, but it was better than being alone with disgusting insects. It was not long before a long, silver katana came out of nowhere. It swung downwards, causing both of us to stumble away from each other. We both turned towards the owner of the blade, and found an odd twelve-year-old boy. He wore the equipment of a samurai, and was even carrying a sword. The only object that seemed out of place was a butterfly net.

My eyebrow twitched in irritation, "Watch where your swinging that thing!"

"Please forgive me, but would you happen to be a pokemon trainer from Pallet?" the boy said; it sounded like he was trying to mimic the way samurais talk.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed, "No. I'm from Viridian."

"I'm from Pallet." I said, my face changed and became curious.

He aimed the tip of his sword at me, "Then I challenge you to a duel! Two on two! May the best trainer win!"

"Huh?" I blinked, "So…you just attacked us with a sword to get me to have a pokemon battle with you?"

He nodded, "Indeed."

I sighed, "Ya'know, you want to have a fight, then why didn't you ask like everyone else does. Swinging your sword at people is really dangerous. What if we didn't move?"

"Forgive me." He bowed. I rolled my eyes and heaved myself up into a standing position, "I shall reveal myself as Samurai, nothing more."

"Whatever," I grumbled, "I'm Bella Vanielle, of Pallet Town."

He grinned, "You're the third trainer from Pallet that I have met, and the only girl. I am interested to see what you will use to defeat me." He grabbed a pokeball from his pocket and held up.

"Third?" One of my eyebrows arched, "Who else have you met?"

"Gary Oak, from Pallet. He used very powerful pokemon. And Ryan Thomson, but he preferred to be referred to as Red. He, too, was a powerful trainer." Samurai said automatically.

_Red? So he's a trainer, too? What about Ash? Maybe he changed his mind. _I plucked a red and white pokeball from my belt and tapped it. A white light shot towards the ground, and slowly mutated into Nidoran. Samurai threw his pokeball to the ground, and soon a bright green cocoon appeared. The hair on my neck stood on end, and I nervously pulled out my pokédex. _Metapod, the evolved form of Caterpie. They try to avoid others, and are generally quite useless when in this stage. _I blinked. _So all it can do is Harden? That's a kinda sad. I'll end this quickly. _"Nidoran, Peck!" The blue pokemon lunged forward and bit into Metapod. There was a cry of pain, "Poison Sting!" Her claws began to glow purple as she scratched the bug, poisoning it. But the Metapod managed to shed its skin, saving itself.

"Quick Attack!" I ordered. Nidoran's body began to glow white as she shot forward and slammed into Metapod. The bug flew backwards and smacked into a tree. It was unconscious. _That was way to easy. _I was disappointed by how pathetic the Metapod was, and wondered why Samurai would use such a weak pokemon. He recalled Metapod, and then summoned a far more intimidating insect. A shiver went down my spine, and I had an urge to flee and never return to the forest. I recalled Nidoran and immediately summoned Charmander. It was a large, brown bug with two giant pincers on its head. A small mouth and two eyes gazed me angrily. _Pinsir, a bug-type. Goodie. _

"Ember!" Charmander opened its mouth and freed a large fireball. The spherical flame flew across the road and smacked into Pinsir.

"Cut!" Samurai ordered. The bug flew forward and attempted to catch Charmander in its claws; he managed to dodge the attack and deal a deadly blow with his claws to its face. "Mega Punch!" The Pinsir brought back its fist and brought it down on Charmander, wounding the poor fire-type.

"Bite!" Charmander lunged forward and sank its fangs into the bug-type. Pinsir tried the same attack, but Charmander evaded its attack and delivered a deadly blow. His claws began to glow a pure silver as they impaled the unsuspecting insect. "Finish it off with an Ember!" I ordered. A fireball shot from his mouth and hit the Pinsir. It was inflicted with a burn, but it was not down yet. I changed that by calling out "Metal Claw!" I checked the pokédex to see what move Charmander had just learned. His claws began to glow white again as he finished off the bug-type. Lucky for me, bug-types were weak against fire-types.

Samurai recalled his Pinsir and bowed, "You truly are a powerful trainer, Bella Vanielle of Pallet Town. Are there any other trainers from said town?"

I hesitated, "Ash Ketchum. He should come sometime. And I'm not _that_ good," I admitted. _I just used the elements to my advantage. _I embraced my Charmander and praised him before calling him back into his pokeball. "That was a good battle, though. See'ya." I waved lightly and turned away. Gabriel took the lead like before. The two of us began talking about every random thing that came to mind. We ran into other trainers, most of which were bug trainers. Both of us defeated each trainer we ran into and continued on. Our walk through Viridian Forest was forced to a pause when I stepped on something, and found myself being electrocuted. That was the first time I had ever been shocked; and I have to admit that I hoped that I would never happen again. I glanced down at what attacked me, and found it to be an adorable little yellow rodent. Brown stripes covered its back, and bright red cheeks emitted static. Angry black eyes gazed at me; black covered the tips of its ears. Its tail was shapped like a lightning bolt.

I pulled out my pokédex to examine it. _Pikachu, an electric-type. They are usually good-natured and can be kept as pets; but when threatened they can release powerful lightning attacks. They are usually found in forests. So this one is male? _"Gabriel, do you want a Pikachu?" I planned to catch it myself, which was why I asked.

"Nope. It's all yours." He said with a light smile.

I grinned and quickly called on Charmander, "Use Metal Claw." I said instantly. He leapt at the Pikachu, but he dodged Charmander's attack and released a thunderbolt. I grimaced as my starter was electrified. "Ember!" A fireball short from his mouth and engulfed the Pikachu. The electric mouse cried out in pain and rolled around, trying to get away from the burning sensation that overwhelmed his body. "Metal Claw!" The light orange lizard shot forward and dealt a devastating blow, nearly knocking the Pikachu unconscious. I threw a pokeball at it and watched as a crimson light engulfed the yellow rodent. It shook for a few seconds, but a loud click assured me that he had been caught. I triumphantly scooped the ball up and smirked, "Another pokemon has been added to my arsenal!"

"Thanks Charmander," I said as I turned towards my starter. I placed the pokeball on my belt and lifted the fire-type in my arms, "Let's hurry to Pewter City, 'kay?"

"Char." He nodded his head in agreement. Gabriel silently led the way towards Pewter. Darkness fell soon, and the tall buildings of the city appeared in the distance. My eyes grew wide with surprise when I saw how much bigger it was compared to Viridian.

Gabriel chuckled as he gently grabbed my forearm and led me through the glimmering buildings, "First time in the city?" I nodded. We walked past the different stores and to the Pokemon Center. There, Nurse Joy healed my pokemon. I was confused by the fact that she was there, and when I asked her, she told me that she was sister of the Nurse Joy that lived in Viridian. They looked like they were clones. I rented the room for the night, and said both goodbye and thank-you to Gabriel. He did the same, and the two of us went to sleep for the night…

**End of the first chapter. Please review…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry if this chapter is too short. This chapter is focused entirely on Bella and Brock's battle…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 3: Stone **

"_A poet, before anything else, is_

_A person who is passionately in love with words_."

-W.H. Auden

_Images of a tall, black tower danced by. A laboratory with men and women in crisp white coats. A test-tube full of orange liquid. And… _My eyes opened, and I was blinded by a golden light. It took me a second to register that it was sunlight. _Morning already? _I sat up and shook the haze of sleep away. The bedroom that Nurse Joy allowed me to rent resembled a hotel room. I slid out of bed and went to take a quick shower. After the shower and brushing my teeth, I changed back into my earlier outfit and ran downstairs. There, I was reunited with my pokemon. I made amends with Pikachu over breakfast; he was ready to forgive me after I gave him free food. Once me and my pokemon were fed, we left the Center and began looking around. All of the stores in Pewter were filled with some many odd trinkets. It took me nearly an eternity to find the Pokemart. I quickly bought what we would need and then left in search of the Gym.

It did not take long to find it. The Pewter City Gym was the only building that was made of out of wood and giant boulders. Plus, it said 'Gym' in big letters on a wooden board at the top. Hard to miss, really. I walked up the stairs and entered through the double doors. I found myself in a giant, empty room. There was little nothing in there. Nothing but a young man. He must have heard the door, because he turned so that he was facing me. He had short, dark brown hair that was spiked. His skin was deeply tanned, and his eyes remained closed; making me question how he could possibly see me. He wore a short-sleeved, baggy orange t-shirt and bright green vest. Baggy brown pants covered his legs; black and white sneakers covered his feet. He appeared to be around fifteen; only one year older than me. He began walking towards me in a calm manner and a stoic expression on his face. It was almost intimidating.

Then he had to go and murder the moment. As soon as he was close enough, the man got down on one knee and cradled my hands in his, "Why hello there!" He greeted, "My names Brock Takeshi and I'm the Gym Leader. Can I assist you with something?" The smile on his face almost made me laugh.

"Yes. One: you can let go of my hands. Two: I'll like to battle you." It took me a second to realize that I had rhymed.

Brock released my hands and stood up, "Are you sure you don't want a date instead?" I shook my head. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, "And your name is?"

"Bella Vanielle, of Pallet Town." I said automatically.

One of his eyebrows arched upwards, "You're the third person from Pallet to challenge me…and the first girl," He wiggled his eyebrows jokingly. I giggled at his joke. "So I guess your entering the Indigo League?" I nodded, "Then your after the Boulder Badge. Well, even if you are cute, you'll have to fight for it."

I grinned and snatched a pokeball off of my belt, "That was my intention."

Brock smirked at me and nodded before turning and walking across the room. He motioned for me to stay where I was, and pressed a button. The room began to shake, and suddenly the floor between us flipped over. My eyes grew wide with shock at how much it had changed from a simple, plain room. Now there was a large, rock covered field before us. Jagged boulders littered the floor, and there was a white paint marking indicating that this would be the battle field. I called forth Nidoran, who ran towards the middle of the field without hesitation.

Brock reached into his vest and pulled out a pokeball. He tossed it into the air, allowing an ivory light to shine freely. It morphed into a small rock with arms, a mouth, and eyes. I pulled out my pokédex and researched the information. _Geodude, the rock/ground type. They can usually be found in mountains, and to avoid predators they pretend to be rocks. I'm that that's not very hard. _I just hoped that it would not be too hard for Nidoran to defeat the Geodude. "Nidoran, use Peck!" I cried. The blue pokemon ran forward and prepared to ram the rock-pokemon.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" Brock commanded. Geodude began grabbing at several different rocks and throwing them at Nidoran. She dodged them easily and prepared to slam into the rock-type. "Defense Curl!" It used its arms to shield itself from her attack.

"Poison Sting!" Nidoran's fangs turned purple as she bit into Geodude, inflicting it with poisonous venom.

"Magnitude!" Geodude's arm went into air and punched the ground, creating an earthquake that sent Nidoran flying into a nearby boulder.

"Quick Attack!" I cried. The blue poison-type flew at Geodude with amazing speed and rammed into it, causing it to spiral backwards into a pile of boulders. "Now use a Double Kick!" The attack was self-explanatory. Nidoran leapt up and kicked Geodude twice, disorienting it even more.

"Mega Punch!" Brock called. The Geodude reeled its arm back and punched Nidoran square in the face, sending her flying backwards and into the ground.

"Double Kick!" She leapt up and attacked Geodude again. It released one last cry before passing out. Nidoran alone should not have been able to defeat so quickly, but she did poison it. The poison helped out. "Whoo! Go Nidoran!" I cheered. My pokemon ran up to me and I embraced her, feeling very proud of her. I recalled her into her pokeball and prepared to grab another. I paused, "How many pokemon can I use?"

"Two." Brock replied as he recalled his Geodude. He reached into his vest and summoned his second and last pokemon. The light slowly transformed into whatever had been inside. My jaw dropped, and felt a little sick to my stomach at the sight of it. It was a giant snake that was made out of rocks. A horn protruded from its head, and it had eyes and a mouth. It was so tall that the horn was close to touching the ceiling, which was really high up. _Just great. This guys packs a freakishly tall pokemon. _I thought as I prepared to call forth Charmander. No such luck. A white light emerged from one of the pokeballs on my belt, and my yellow Pikachu appeared before me. I stared at it in confusion.

"Pika!" the yellow mouse said enthusiastically. He ran out in front of the pokemon and glared up at it. That Pikachu had to be the bravest pokemon I had ever seen. I sighed and pulled out my pokédex. _Onix, a rock/ground type. They will attack humans and pokemon alike without hesitation, and are usually hotheaded. They can be found in caves. I may be at a disadvantage, but there has to be something I can do to win this. _Lightning attacks were out of the question.

Brock looked a little surprised, "That was a poor choice. Onix, Tail Whip." Its tail flew forward and attempted to smack Pikachu across the Gym. But he managed to dodge the attack.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" I called. His body began to glow pure white, and he flew at Onix faster than light. He smacked into its body, but the attack did little damage.

"Tackle!" Brock called. Onix lunged downwards. My eyes nearly bulged out of my skull as I frantically screamed for Pikachu to move. That attack surely would have killed him had he not moved. I was taking the rock pokemon's weight into consideration.

"Bite!" Pikachu sunk his fangs into Onix's tail, but it just shook its tail and slammed the poor rodent to the floor. I felt a twinge of guilt for letting him fight. An idea popped into my head, "Agility!" Several small Pikachus appeared and began circling the Onix. I waited until it was confused before issuing the next command, "Quick Attack!" They all converged on the rock-type, but their attacks were almost useless. _Dammit! There has to be something I can do. _

"I'll just end this quickly. Wrap!" Brock looked disappointed. Onix wrapped its tail around Pikachu and began squeezing the electric pokemon's life away.

"Pikachu!" I cried. I stood there, staring on in horror as my pokemon began to cry out in pain. It frantically began using lightning attacks to escape, but no avail. _Pikachu…no… _I ordered him to attack and free himself, but none of his attacks would work. I could feel the tears as they slowly appeared my eyes, and began to slide down my pale cheeks. The back of my throat began to feel sore, and all I wanted to do was cry and forfeit the match. It hurt so much to see my, or any pokemon for that matter, in pain. But I fought the urge and began looking around. It was time to follow Professor Oak's advice and make use of the elements. The field was made to give rock-types an advantage, so I began searching _outside _of the field. I as about to give up hope when I saw it. A wide grin appeared on my face as I concentrated on my pokemon, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt," Brock chuckled at my pathetic attempt to attack, "On the sprinkler system!" His smile fell instantly and instead he wore a shocked expression.

The yellow mouse nodded painfully and screamed "PIKACHU!!!" Golden lightning shot from his cheeks and assaulted the sprinklers, causing them to release cool water. The liquid began to cover Onix, and I noticed it weakening immediately.

"Good job!" I praised, "Now use Thunderbolt on Onix until it passes out!" Pikachu gladly followed my orders and releases multiple bolts. Onix cried out in pain, and was helpless to stop the onslaught of lightning and water. It released Pikachu, who limped up to me after releasing one more static bolt. Onix fell to the floor, unconscious. I ran up to my soaked pokemon and embraced him, "Pikachu! Oh my gosh, you were wonderful out there! I'm so sorry for putting you through all of that! I'm sorry!" I could feel the tears as I apologized to my pokemon; and I was not ashamed of them.

Pikachu smiled up at me reassuringly and shook his head, "Pika be." He flashed his version of a thumbs up, and I did embraced my pokemon again.

There was an applause. I looked up and found Brock clapping for me. Onix was gone, meaning that its trainer already recalled it. The fifteen-year-old crossed the field and reached into his pocket, "Good job," he said as he handed me something, "You earned it."

I glanced down at the bronze, rock-shapped badge and smiled. Pikachu cheered along with me, and we both did our own little victory jig. Brock chuckled at our antics, causing me to feel slightly embarrassed. "You did really good out there. I was surprised when you beat Onix was the type that is supposed to be weak for him. Great job," he paused, "I hope to see you on TV when the Indigo League rolls around."

I nodded, "I'll be there." And we punched our knuckles together. I bowed, turned, and began walking towards the doors of the Gym.

"And that dates still open!" Brock called to me. I giggled and left the Gym. The first place I went to was the Pokemon Center. I spent an hour or two resting there before heading off to a restaurant to eat lunch. Afterwards, I headed off towards Route Three…

**End of this chapter. Please review…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Now for Bella's first taste of a certain mafia group…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 4: Training **

"_A single rose can be my garden_…

_a friend_, _my world_."

-Leo Buscaglia

I spent the next several days in Route Three, battling as many trainers and wild pokemon as I could. I needed to train my pokemon so that they could handle future opponents. Our bond grew as well, and soon my pokemon became some of my closest friends. I found myself going between Route Three and the nearby Pokemon Center. Once I was satisfied with our progress, I went ahead to Cerulean City. Okay, first I had to deal with Mt. Moon; that was what the guide said anyway. I gulped and stared at the opening of the cave nervously. I was afraid of dark places and bugs, along with heights. My three greatest phobias. I nervously pulled out my flashlight and entered the cave. Fear gripped my heart immediately, and I could feel my body shake as the cool air of the darkened cave engulfed me. _Calm down, Bella. Nothing is going to hurt you. Nothing is going to hurt you. So what if there are creepy Zubat in here. They won't attack just as long as you don't provoke them. _My heart danced with joy when I saw light up ahead. _Wow, that was quick._

I ran ahead and prepared to enter the sunlight. Once again, no such luck. I was still in the cave. Only now I could fully see the deep caverns. I was surprised to see hot lights hung up on the walls, and some equipment near the bottom of the cave. _Huh? _I remembered hearing a traveler mention that there were strange people in Mt. Moon. _Did the strange people do this? _One would have thought that I was happy to have light. But after wandering the rock caverns for a few minutes, I found that I felt extremely uneasy and guilty. Paris, bug-types, were planting their mushrooms into the ground, and sickly looking Sandshrew were resting; it was because of the heat the lights were causing. I felt a desire to confront the ones who had defiled the cave. I continued on with new vigor. Very few trainers challenged me; and little to no wild pokemon had the energy to fight or even move.

It did not take very long for me to find another trainer. Only his outfit was strange. I ran into a man who wore a black outfit with gray gloves and boots, a belt that carried three pokeballs, a black hat, and his shirt had a bright red 'R' on the front. "Excuse me!" I called for the twentieth time. He looked at me with an annoyed expression, "Did you hang the lights up?"

"And what if I did?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes, "Well take them down! Your hurting the pokemon!"

"So?" he shrugged.

I reached for a pokeball, "I'm warning you. I won't stand by and let you hurt innocent creatures."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked as he summoned a pokemon without hesitation. "Kid, you better get outta here before I kick 'yer ass." It was a purple snake with yellow tattoos. I recognized it as an Ekans.

"You get out first!" I hissed. He grinned and began walking towards me. He reached out to me, but I kicked him in the shin and slapped his cheek; which was a little hard to do considering that he was taller than me.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, "Bitch!" And his hand flew across my face. I was shocked. That had been the first time that someone had ever slapped me like that. I recoiled some, and simply stood there with my head turned away from him. My cheek throbbed, "Learn your place!"

Suddenly, my eyes narrowed into slits and I whipped my head around to face him, "You asshole! How _dare _you slap me!?" I spat. I snatched up a pokeball and called for Charmander. The lizard growled at the black-clad man.

"Ekans, Bite!" the man ordered.

"Ember!" Charmander was trained better. He lunged forward and released a burst of fire, injuring the Ekans before it could reach me. It was knocked out almost immediately. I took a chance and kicked him where no man should be kicked. The man screamed and clutched himself, before falling to the floor and curling into a ball. I grabbed Charmander and began sprinting into an opposite cavern.

I ran into several corridors, and ran into men dressed in the same outfit as the one from before. I battled each of them, and ended up sprinting into the hall after kicking them in a sensitive area. Charmander and I continued running through the long caverns in a desperate attempt to avoid the men's wrath when they could stand again. Before long, we found ourselves in a giant room several men clad in black. Charmander fought most of them, but he was starting to grow weaker due to the excess fighting. I was prepared to use my other pokemon if need be, until I noticed something odd. There was a man in a white coat hunched over somewhere. He was surrounded by equipment, and appeared to be looking at something.

"Hey! I called. He shot up from the spot and turned to face me, "What're you doing over there?" I walked up to him and placed my hands on my hips.

He looked like one of those nerdy guys that lived in their mother's basement. He had medium length, greasy black hair, extremely pale skin, and glasses. He wore a crisp white lab coat, dress clothes, and dress pants. Usually I liked a man who dressed nice, but the way he dressed made him look like a nerdy scientist with bad taste in fashion. I glanced over his shoulder and found a pale green egg sitting behind him. I blinked and then looked at him again, only my eyes narrowed, "Are you kidnapping an unhatched pokemon?"

"Its mother is already dead. My colleagues made sure of that." The man said as if it were not a big deal. My eyebrow twitched.

"A-and why would they do that?" It was hard to make pokemon fight, but to kill them was out of line. I had a desire to punch the pathetic man in the throat and jab my knee into his gut. But I restrained myself.

"I wanted to learn more about the pokemon, but its mother went into a rage and attacked us. So we did what was best to increase scientific knowledge." He explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

My arms were trembling with controlled rage. Calmly, I muttered, "You better get out of my sight before I kick your_ ass_." I was against cursing, but these people were absolutely horrible. They angered me so much that it was hard not to. That was not a good excuse, but at least the guy got the idea.

He smirked and stood up, "Sorry, but that's not happening. This egg and the fossils need my attention." He pulled out a pokeball and summoned a pokemon that resembled a giant pokeball with eyes, only without the button required to enlarge or shrink it.

"Metal Claw." I said calmly. Charmander leapt up and jammed its claws into the pokemon. I could care less what kind it was.

"Voltorb, Thunder Shock!" the scientist ordered. A lightning bolt appeared from its body, but Charmander dodged just in time and dealt a deadly blow with his Ember attack. He whipped around and used Tail Whip to ram the Voltorb against the stone wall. The scientist recalled his injured pokemon and summoned another. As soon as it appeared, a horrid smell filled the air. I covered my nose and glared at him. _What the heck did he just call out!? _Charmander covered his own nostrils and growled at the pokemon. I was surprised to see it. It was a ball of living, dark sickly purple sludge with eyes, a mouth, and arms.

I pulled out my pokédex and looked up the information. _Grimer, a poison-type. Nothing here about behavior, but it says that Grimer can be found anywhere with pollution. Well, it got that right. That thing is like the living embodiment of pollution. _"Charmander, use your Ember attack on it!" He opened his mouth and released a fireball, but was interrupted by the Grimer as it pelted him with purple sludge. Charmander fell to the ground, wounded and tired. _Crap. _"Return, Charmander." I recalled him and quickly called out Pikachu, "Thunderbolt!" I ordered. Golden lightning shot from his cheeks and engulfed the poison-type. The Grimer fainted almost immediately. I shoved past the scientist to get a better look at what he had been doing. There were two fossils and a pale green egg. I felt sorry for the pokemon, and like it would be wrong just to leave it behind. I scooped the egg up into my arms and turned towards the scientist. "I'm taking this." I said firmly.

"Really?" another voice asked. I looked up, and my face fell when I saw a large group of the men in black. The one that spoke laughed, "Now 'yer about to see what happens when you mess with Team Rocket!"

"Team Rocket!? I asked, surprised by the name. _So that's why that 'R' was so familiar! Its freaking Team Rocket! That's a huge mafia group that steals pokemon, and will do anything to get their way…even kill people. _I gulped nervously and backed away with Pikachu at my side. There was no way that my wounded Charmander, a Nidoran, and a Pikachu would be able to fight so many pokemon and humans at once. _Damn it all! What am I going to do? _I grabbed one of the fossils while I was backing away. Since it was Team Rocket, then I was not going to let them have their way. They all prepared to summon their pokemon. _This is it! _I thought as I clutched both Pikachu and the egg to my chest.

"Clefairy! Clefairy! Clefairy! Clefairy!"

I blinked, and everyone in the room, including me, said "Clefairy?" at the same time. We looked at the source of the voice, and I saw a large group of pink creatures with curled tails and adorable black eyes. I pulled out my pokédex and researched their data. _Clefairy, a normal type. They are very shy towards humans. _I looked at them. They were all standing there, smiling broadly. They raised their tiny hands and held up one finger, then began swaying the palms back and forth. My silver-blue irises slid back and forth with their fingers, and soon my upper body began to copy the motion. Pikachu was doing the same thing, as were all of the Team Rocket members. This action continued for several minutes, and soon my mind wandered away as I slowly fell into a trance. _What's…going…on? Why…am…I…following them? _Suddenly, their palms stopped; as did the Team Rocket members, Pikachu, and me.

Their song, which consisted of their name ended with a chipper, "Clefairy!" And their bodies began to glow.

The cave began to shake, successfully shocking me out of my stupor. All of the Team Rocket members simultaneously screamed, "METRONOME!!!" And began running into the different caverns for their lives.

"Metronome?" I asked, feeling confused. That was one it clicked together. The cave was shaking. People were fleeing. _OH SHAT!!! _I held onto the egg, Pikachu, and the fossil as I sprinted in the opposite direction of the Team Rocket grunts. I made a sharp turn and out of Mt. Moon, and just on time too. An explosion went off, causing rocks, boulders, and debris to fly. I managed to duck before it was too late, and was missed entirely by all of the debris.

"Pika?" Pikachu and I looked up, and found that the exit to the cave had collapsed. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the Lord that I survived," I breathed. I looked down at Pikachu, "You OK, there?"

"Pika, Pikachu." The yellow rodent smiled and nodded.

I smiled, "That's good. Man, that was a close one. I thought we were goners for sure." I stood up and glanced around. We were standing in the warm sunlight, and was surrounded by a large, open field. An old, worn wooden sign stood before me. It said 'Cerulean City up ahead' in black letters. "Well what do 'ya know, we made it."

"Pika pika!" the yellow rodent cheered happily.

I looked down at the pale green egg sympathetically, and then at the fossil. There was little I could do, but keep the egg really. I would feel bad if I just left it at the Pokemon Center, or just abandoned it somewhere. I stood up and recalled Pikachu into his pokeball. _I'll just keep the egg and the fossil for now. _I began walking down the road, completely intent on reaching Cerulean City. The tall buildings of the city appeared, and I eagerly ran inside. I was nearly blown away by how large it was compared to Pallet and Viridian. It was so much bigger compared to even Pewter City. _Wow…its so…huge! _I thought as I weaved through the crowd of humans and simple pokemon that were being kept as pets, and not for battling.

It took me a while to find the Pokemon Center. When I found it, I gratefully entered the two-story building and ran up to the desk. Nurse Joy was standing behind it, which surprised me. "Uh…are you related to the Nurse Joys in Viridian and Pewter?" I asked curiously.

She nodded, "Yes. They're my little sisters." I blinked. All three of them looked freakishly alike. It was a little scary.

_Oky-doky then. _I quickly pulled out all three of my pokeballs and set them on the counter, "I need you to heal my pokemon. They got hurt in Mt. Moon."

She nodded, "That always happens. You can rent a room, too, if you'd like."

"Thanks, but I need to tell you something else!" I said frantically. _I'm not letting them get away with murdering a pokemon and making an unhatched baby an orphan! That is inexcusable behavior! _"Team Rocket are in Mt. Moon disturbing the pokemon! In fact, they just tried to _kill_ me! But I saved by a group of Clefairy that used metronome and blew up the exit to the cave," I realized how farfetched my story was and sighed, "I know this sounds made-up, but I'm being dead serious."

Nurse Joy nodded, "I know. Just recently, a house that belongs to a rich family in Cerulean City was robbed by a member of Team Rocket. He was arrested last night."

"Then why weren't there any officers in Mt. Moon?" I asked.

She sighed, "It's hard to get in there. There are so many wild pokemon, and dark places for the black-clad members to hide in," What she said made sense. Team Rocket members were completely decked in black clothes, so they could easily hide in the shadows of the cave and ambition the police. I gulped and shook my head, not wanting to think about what they would do. "And I believe you about the Clefairy, too. Those pokemon inhabit Mt. Moon, and they have the ability to use Metronome. When they use this attack, it allows them to use any other technique in existence, with only few exceptions. Explosion is the attack they commonly use when thwarting large groups of enemies," she placed the pokeballs on a tray, but she paused to look at my arms, "Where did you get that egg?"

I sighed sadly, "Team Rocket admitted to killing a pokemon that they wanted to research about. They tried to steal her orphaned egg, but I managed to take it back from them. I'd feel bad if I just left it somewhere, so I'm going to hatch the egg myself." I explained.

She smiled, "That's so kind of you. Not very many trainers would devote their time to carrying an egg around, much less to carrying for a baby pokemon."

"Thanks." She went behind a set of doors. I sighed, turned, and walked out of the Pokemon Center. I needed some time to think things over by myself. Plus, getting to know the layout of the city would be a good idea. I went around the tall buildings, examining every house, apartment, and retail store. I located the Pokemart, the Pokemon Center, and the Cerulean City Gym. When I found the Gym, I took some time to stare at it. It looked like a giant carousal. The roof was a dome shape, and covered dark yellow and neon pink stripes. It was laced with white waves, and pillars that were striped with white and blue. The walls of the building were dark yellow, and the concrete floor was grey. There was a giant white, seal-like creature on the sign. It looked like a scary, overly colorful carousal. I despised the bright pink the most. For several years, my bedroom walls had been hot pink. Every morning, that color would be the first color I would see. Before going to bed, that color would be the last color I would see. Even when there was a blackout, I could still see my walls; even if it was just barley. I grew to fear dark pinks. The pale pink of a Clefairy I could handle, but dark pinks filled me with fright and irritation. That building reminded me of the color my walls used to be; now they are pure white, like they had been when I was a toddler. _Evil. Building. _Were the only words going through my head as I slowly backed away. Unfortunately, I had to return later to fight the Gym Leader.

I continued looking around and enjoying the sights. Some would stop to glance at the egg in my arms, and then continue on their way. It felt as though a blue aura hung around the city; it reminded me of the ocean, in a way. Just like how Pewter City reminded me of the mountains or a cave. After a while, I returned to the Pokemon Center and retrieved my now healed pokemon. I rested in the Center for a while, and then continued on my way. I found another route that I could train at; and I planned to make use of it. I neared a wooden bridge that would lead to the route when I noticed a familiar person. _Your kidding me. _I sighed and shook my head. Gary Oak was walking towards me with eight cheerleaders behind him. He stepped off of the bridge, and seemed to have just noticed me. A grin plastered itself onto his face and he approached me.

_Here we go. _"Well, well, well…if it ain't the loser in person? How've you been?" Gary asked rudely.

"Yo," I said with a bored wave. For some reason, his childish attitude was not angering me. _That's weird. We should be arguing already. _"Fine. You?"

"I've been feeling better than fine, thank-you very much," Gary said proudly. He paused and gazed at my arms. "Where'd you get that?"

"I found it." I said.

"You stole it?"

"No. I found it in Mt. Moon. Team Rocket killed its mom, so now I'm going to raise the baby."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

We both fell silent. There was very little to say after that. Gary just stood there, staring at me with a curious expression. It slowly became agitated, though. I felt very uncomfortable under his gaze. He finally broke the silence, "So, how strong are your pokemon?"

"Pretty strong, I'd say. You?"

He smirked, "They're invincible. Of course, if you don't mind, how 'bout we test that theory out?"

"A battle?" I asked wearily.

He plucked a pokeball off of his belt and enlarged it, "Yup."

I shrugged and called out Nidoran. Gary called out a Spearow. Spearow was a bird-type, and was the most vicious of any kind. Their heads were covered in brown, spiked feathers. Their stomach was a pale tan, and their backs were a deep black. Sharp, black irises gazed at Nidoran. They had bright red wings and brown tail feathers. "Peck!" Gary ordered. His Spearow flew into the air and dove at Nidoran. My pokemon dodged its attacks.

"Poison Sting," I said calmly. Nidoran bit into Spearow, and successfully poisoned it. "Double Kick." She leapt into the air and kicked the foul twice, causing it to fall to the ground. Spearow stubbornly stood up and released a low growl.

"Fury Attack!" Gary ordered impatiently. It flew at Nidoran and began wildly pecking at her. "Aerial Ace!" It flipped upwards, began to glow white, and used its razor sharp talons to slice into my pokemon's side.

My eyes narrowed, "Nidoran, Bite!" She jerked around and bit into the bird's side, causing it to squawk in pain. "Now, finish it off with a Take Down attack." I said. Nidoran smashed Spearow into a nearby rock, and left it lying there unconscious.

"Damn…" Gary hissed under his breath. He recalled Spearow and immediately called forth another pokemon. My eyes grew wide with slight surprise. _Oh the irony. _Nidoran seemed to agree. There was a medium sized, dark purple dinosaur-like pokemon standing before us. It had sharp, black irises and sharp spikes on its back. The pokemon before us was the evolved form of a male Nidoran; it was a Nidorino. "Heh, now, Nidorino! Use your Horn Attack!" He lunged at Nidoran, but she managed to dodge the attack at the last second.

"Double Kick!" I ordered. Nidoran ran at Nidorino, but he thwarted her attack and sent her slamming into a nearby fence. She fell to the ground, unable to battle any longer. I ran to my pokemon and embraced, "Its alright girl. You did your best." I recalled her into her pokeball.

"Told'ya that girls were weaker than boys." Gary laughed arrogantly.

I narrowed my eyes, "Then what gender was that Spearow?" He stopped and narrowed his eyes. I grinned, "Thought so," I grabbed another pokeball and called on Pikachu. The electric rodent grinned mischievously at the Nidorino. "Thunderbolt." I said. Golden lightning shot from Pikachu's crimson cheeks and engulfed the evolved pokemon. When the static cleared, Nidorina attempted to Tackle Pikachu. My electric type was faster, so he easily dodged the other male's attack. He used the usual tactic of multiplying with the use Agility, running in circles around Nidorino, and then used a powerful Thunderbolt on him.

"Toxic Spikes!" Gary ordered. Spikes flew from his body and narrowly missed Pikachu.

"Quick Attack!" I cried. Pikachu slammed into Nidorino, and knocked it over, "Thunderbolt!" Golden light engulfed Nidorino, leaving it paralyzed and only half-conscious.

Gary groaned in irritation and recalled his Nidorino. He pulled out another pokeball and summoned a more intimidating water-type. Squirtle had evolved since the last time I saw him. He was a bigger turtle now, and his light blue skin had turned a darker hue of the same color. White ears protruded from his head, like a pair of two tiny feathered wings. Sharp, purple eyes gazed at me eagerly. His tail had become more refined and elegant, and it was a pure white now. His shell remained the same color as before. I held out my pokédex and researched the data. _Wartortle, the evolved form of Squirtle. They are very loyal, and can be found on islands and beaches. _I recalled Pikachu, despite knowing that I had the elemental advantage. There was something that I wanted to prove. I released Charmander instead.

"Charmander? That's a stupid choice! Pikachu would have an elemental advantage over my Wartortle, ya'know." Gary said with a wide grin.

"I know," I muttered as I knelt down beside Charmander, "okay buddy, we're going to kick Gary and his Wartortle's butt, 'kay? To prove which one of us stronger."

"Char char." The fire-type said in a determined voice.

There was a short pause. Gary, always the impatient one, was the first to attack, "Rapid Spin!"

"Evade!" Charmander rolled out of the way. "Metal Claw!" His claws began to glow a bright silver as he neared the Wartortle; they impaled the water-type, injuring him.

"Bite!" The blue pokemon sunk its fangs into Charmander's flesh, causing him to cry out in pain. A cry that seemed to injure me, too.

"Scratch!" He whipped around and left deep cuts in Wartortle's blue skin.

"Water Gun!" Cool, pale blue liquid shot from the water-type's mouth and knocked Charmander into a nearby rock.

"Metal Claw!" Charmander leapt off of the stone and flew at the water-type. Wartortle released another Water Gun, but Charmander evaded the attack and dealt a deadly bow with his claws. Wartortle used a Bubble attack to injure my pokemon, and sent him spiraling into a nearby fence. Suddenly, the flame on Charmander's tail grew rapidly. He roared with rage, and flew at Wartortle with lightning fast speed. His claws and fangs grew sharper, and made its attacks even more deadly than before.

I checked my pokédex. Charmander had just learned Dragon Rage. It was a powerful attack, and I planned to use it more often. Gary was more serious after that attack. We both began shouting random orders. Our pokemon exchanged blows like their lives depended on it. As the battle neared its end, both Gary and I ordered our starters to attack at the same time:

"Dragon Rage!"

"Rapid Spin!"

Charmander changed from the adorable fire-type into a vicious beast again, and flew at Wartortle like a rabies infected monster. The water-type pulled into his shell and began to spin in circles at the fire-type. Both of them collided at the same exact time; they fell to the ground. Neither one of them moved. I ran to my fallen pokemon and embraced him, feeling guilty for pushing him so hard, "Charmander! Are you OK?" I asked, feeling the tears prick at my eyes.

He nodded, "Char…" and slowly fell unconscious. I embraced my pokemon, and sniffled some.

"It's clear who won," Gary said as he recalled his unconscious Wartortle, "It was me."

"No, actually it was _your _pokemon that passed out first." I said, knowing that I was right.

Gary was not ready to admit this, "No, it was me! I won! If there were witnesses, then they would agree with me!"

"Nope. I'm pretty sure she won."

We both turned to the owner of the voice. It was Gabriel. He was standing near me with a broad smile on his face, and his arms folded over his chest. He approached me and pat my back, "Good show! At first I thought you were a weak trainer, but you just proved me wrong. All of your pokemon are well-trained," he looked at Gary, "Same for you. But you yourself are not trained very well."

"What'd you say?" Gary growled.

"I said that your pathetic," Gabriel smirked. He crouched beside me and urged me to stand. I gathered both Charmander and the egg into my arms and rose along with the raven haired boy. He looked me in the eye, "I've already gotten my Cascade Badge. Right now I'm going to visit a famous researcher named Bill."

"About what?" I asked.

"Well, there's a pokemon I want to catch, but I can't find very many leads on it. The only lead I have is that Bill has a lot of information on a pokemon called Dratini," Gabriel explained. He grinned, "You wanna come with me?"

I smiled, "It'd be my pleasure," I glanced down at Charmander, "But I'd like to heal my pokemon first."

"Of course." He said with a nod.

"I'm still here!" Gary's face was red from what I thought was frustration. He had his arms folded over his chest, and his foot was tapping in an irritated manner.

Gabriel chuckled, "Is somebody _jealous_?"

"J-jealous?" Gary stuttered. He shook his head, "No way! I'm just hate being ignored!"

"_Sure _you do." He rolled his eyes.

Gary's eyebrow twitched, "You…"

"Just leave before you pop a blood vessel." Gabriel groaned.

Gary hissed and began stomping away. He paused to look at me, with an odd expression that I could not quite understand, before storming away. Meanwhile, Gabriel hooked his arm around mine and smiled, "Now, how about that Pokemon Center?" I nodded and allowed him to lead me back to Cerulean City…

**I think that this is the longest chapter yet. Well, hope for some reviews…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, I've decided to keep updating just in case some people are actually reading it, just not reviewing. That is a possibility. Although I would like to hear, or in this case read, the thoughts of anyone reading the fic. The famous Bill makes his debut in this chapter. Yes, there is a reason for Bella's meeting with the guy, other than it just being a filler. Red and another of my OCs will appear sometime soon. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 5: Lighthouse **

"_A man who won't die for_

_Something is not fit to live._"

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nurse Joy was surprised to see me so soon. I explained to her that I had a run in with my rival from home, and she understood. She quickly healed my pokemon, and I soon found myself traveling with Gabriel once more. The two of us approached the wooden bridge and began walking across the long, clear blue river below. I soon found myself on Route Twenty-Four, crossing what Gabriel called the Nugget Bridge. Almost as soon as we were on the bridge, a group of trainers began challenging us.

First, it was a young boy by the name of Cale. He was dressed like someone who was bent on catching every bug-type in the world. Gabriel accepted his challenge, and the battle began. His first pokemon was a Caterpie. I checked its information in my pokédex, despite feeling nauseous due to its presence. _Caterpie, a bug-type. Well, that's kind of a no-brainer. They often shed their skin multiple times before encasing themselves in a cocoon and it large amounts of food to gather energy for when that time comes. Yuck. Habitats include forests. _I put the pokédex away and focused more on the battle. Gabriel enlarged a pokeball and tossed it into the air. It burst open, allowing an ivory light to bloom into whatever had been inside. I was amazed by what I saw. A dark purple butterfly with beautiful, pure white wings that were decorated with ebony designs appeared. Tiny, blue hands and feet would aid the creature. Big red eyes gazed down at the bug-type. Normally, I would be disgusted by a bug-type; but what I saw was the most beautiful bug I had ever laid eyes on.

I pulled out my pokédex. _Butterfree, the final evolution of Caterpie. They are very friendly towards their trainer, and usually eat constantly in the wild. They live in forests and the like. The female Butterfree have an extra spot on the bottom part of her wings. This one is female. _It took me a moment to notice that Gabriel was smirking at me entranced expression. I blushed and looked away. "Butterfree, use Confusion!" He ordered. Butterfree concentrated on the little Caterpie below her. Without warning, the green caterpillar was sent soaring backwards and slamming into the bars of the bridge. It sat up, and began looking around in confusion. "Gust!" Butterfree flapped her wings, causing a powerful breeze to carry Caterpie upwards and drop it into the water.

"Cattie!" the young boy cried. He sighed in frustration and recalled his pokemon, "Alright, 'bout this!" The next pokemon was a light brown caterpillar with a big pink nose, small black eyes, a horn on its head, and a stinger on its rear. I recognized it as a Weedle, the pokemon that evolves into Kakuna and then Beedrill. "Poison Sting!"

Weedle shot its stinger Butterfree, but she dodged the attack easily. "Tackle!" She dove down and smacked into the other bug-type, causing it slam into the bars and fall unconscious immediately. _She's been trained really well. _I thought as I watched the trainer reluctantly recall his Weedle. He threw one last pokeball. A green Metapod came out. "Gust!" With a few beats of her wings, the Metapod was defeated in one hit. I began to wonder how on earth Gabriel had the patience to evolve a Metapod into his beautiful Butterfree. Or how he had the patience to train a bug at all. Butterfree flew down to her train and mounted herself on his arm. "You were great out there." He praised and stroked her small head.

"Be free!" the bug replied in a high pitched voice. Gabriel recalled his Butterfree and looked at me, "Ready?" I nodded and the two of us continued on the bridge. Shortly after that battle, a teenager girl named Ali challenged us. This time, I accepted the challenge and called out Charmander. Her first pokemon was Pidgey.

"Ember!" I called. A fireball escaped my pokemon's throat, but narrowly missed the Pidgey as it took flight.

"Gust!" the girl cried. The foul began beating its wings until the wind began to pick up. Charmander endured it easily.

"Ember again!" Another fireball silence the Pidgey easily. I flashed a thumbs up at my fire-type. _Charmander has become so strong, and yet he still hasn't evolved. I wonder why. _Patience was required to raise a Charmander, and I was willing to wait for him to evolve when he was ready to. Ali recalled her Pidgey and sent out an grass-type. It small body was dark, navy blue and bright red, beady eyes gazed at me fiercely. Its hair on top of its head was made of green leaves, and all it had were tiny feet. _Oddish, a grass-type. They live underground by day and then come out by night. They enjoy grassy plains. _

"Razor Leaf!" Sharp leafs shot from the Oddish's hair and flew at Charmander. He evaded the attack and unleashed an Ember attack. Oddish fell instantly. Grass-types were at a disadvantage when faced with fire-types. Ali sighed in frustration and called on her final pokemon. The next one was odd. Its body was a brown stem with arms and legs; said arms were green leaves. Its head was a bright yellow bulb with an opening as a mouth, and small beady black eyes. _Bellsprout, a grass-type. They live in forests. _

"Ember!" Like before, Charmander defeated the foe easily. I embraced my pokemon and praised him before recalling him. After that, Gabriel and I continued on the bridge. Our next challenger was a boy named Timmy.

Timmy challenged Gabriel, and summoned a cute pokemon that was covered in yellow stones. It was cat-like. _Sandshrew, a ground-type. They are defensive by nature, and often hide from predators in small burrows. They like caves. _Gabriel calmly reached into his pack and pulled out a pokeball. He tossed it up, freeing the creature within. The light mutated into whatever had been inside. I was surprised to see it. It was nearly white, but had hints of pale, crème-yellow in its fur. Pointed, black ears protruded from its head. Slitted, bored irises gazed at the Sandshrew. It had a golden charm on its head, and two whiskers on its forehead and cheeks. Light brown covered its back feet and the tip of its curled tail. It reminded me of a feline. _Meowth, a normal-type. They are very found of round and shiny items, and will often steal anything that fits that description. They can occasionally be found in forests, but usually live in urban areas. This one is a dude. _

"Meowth, use Pay Day!" Gabriel ordered. He yawned like he could care less, but I watched as the charm began to glow a bright blue. Its entire body turned black, and soon its charm was flung across the bridge. The charm smacked into Sandshrew, but did not defeat it easily.

"Roll Out!" Timmy called. Sandshrew curled into a ball and began rolling towards Meowth.

"Catch it." Meowth held up his paws and waited for the yellow ball to reach him. He caught it at the last second, and then shoved it into the water. _Wow. Major use of the elements. _I thought. Timmy recalled his weakened Sandshrew and summoned another pokemon. It was an Ekans.

"Bite!" The purple snake lunged at Meowth, but the latter moved and used a Pursuit attack. That was where he turned invisible and appeared behind the snake, and then released a devastating blow with his claws.

"Wrap!" Meowth dodged the attack, and unleashed another Pay Day. _Gabriel's pokemon are trained really well. Meowth is so fast, I bet he could keep up with Pikachu easily. _

"Quick Attack!" Meowth delivered one final blow to the Ekans, and it passed out as a result. Timmy sighed and recalled his unconscious pokemon. It was clear that the battle was over. Gabriel embraced his feline and congratulated him. He recalled the Meowth, and the two of us continued on the bridge. Soon, another trainer, who was a girl named Reli, challenged me.

She called on a female Nidoran; I did the same. My Nidoran used her Quick Attack, and a dose of Double Kick to defeat the weaker female. A male Nidoran was next. They resembled their female counterparts easily, only they were purple with horns on their back. Nidoran defeated him easily, which made up for her lose against Gary's Nidorino. The next challenger was a boy named Ethan. He used a Mankey, which was defeated by Gabriel's Vulpix. I never expected the final challenger.

"Good job," a man dressed in slack and a dress shirt said with a broad smile, "and as a reward for defeating the trainer on this bridge, you both get a Nugget," He handed us each a golden ball, "You can sell this and get tons of cash for it. Oh, and by the way," he added, "would you be interested in a position with Team Rocket?"

My eyes narrowed instantly. I clutched the egg close to my chest as I growled, "No. Freakin. Way."

"Hm?" he looked surprised, "Are you sure? It would be a good idea if you did."

"No." Gabriel said firmly.

"Really? Maybe you need some extra convincing?" the Team Rocket Grunt asked.

I grabbed a pokeball and called on Pikachu, "Maybe _you _should get your sorry butt out of here or I'll kick it up and down this bridge!"

He sighed and called on an Ekans, "Your loss. Wrap!" The purple snake lunged at Pikachu, who dodged the attack and released a powerful Thunderbolt. He defeated the Ekans easily. The Team Rocket member grumbled and called on his next pokemon. It was a dark blue bat without eyes, but it had a large mouth and purple wings. _Zubat, the poison/flying type. They sleep during the cave and swarm around at night. They are found easily in caves. _

"Thunderbolt." I ordered. Pikachu released another powerful attack, and defeated the pathetic Zubat easily.

The man backed away fearfully, "Uh…eh…really! If you join Team Rocket you can become an excellent leader! Think of the opportunity!" 

"Go away." I growled. Pikachu's cheeks began to spark menacingly. The man squeaked in fear and ran away as fast as he could. I pat my electric mouse on the head and recalled him into his pokeball. I glanced down at the egg and stroked it once. _I won't let you down, little pokemon. _I blinked as a thought came to mind. _I wonder if it might mistake me as its mother. Oh joy, _I thought jokingly; _I get to experience the joys of motherhood. _I giggled at my own joke mentally, and followed Gabriel into what was called Route Twenty-Five.

Like the bridge, we fought a lot of strong trainers. It was perfect training for my pokemon, and we found ourselves constantly running back to a nearby Pokemon Center. The Route was surrounded by a thick forest, so it was difficult to see ahead at times. Soon, I came across a trainer that caught my attention. I found him hanging out with his friends, talking and laughing about something or other. He had short, messy dark blue hair and black irises. He wore a pair of sunglasses, and a long-sleeved pink shirt with red scarf and brown vest. Jeans and a pair of boots were added to the ridiculous outfit. He seemed to have noticed me, because he looked at his friends and walked directly up to me.

"Why hello there cutie," He must have been in his teens. "What's a fine young lady like yourself doing in a place like this?"

"Looking for a guy named Bill." I said flatly.

"Is he your boyfriend or something?" the blue-haired man smirked as he spoke.

"No." I turned away and tried to follow Gabriel, but we were both stopped when the man stepped in front of me. I sighed in agitation.

"Not even going to ask my name? That's a little rude." He chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, "No, and that's because I really don't care."

"Wanna have a battle at least, or are you just looks and not action?" His lines were terrible. I wanted to punch him in the nose, but I simply shrugged and called on Charmander. He looked surprised to see the lizard, and then shrugged and called on his own Charmander. "Name's Damian, and I think that you and I are a perfect match."

"Name's Bella. And I'd prefer it if you left and never spoke to me again." I grumbled and clutched the egg closer to my chest.

Damian looked at it and cocked his head to the side, "An egg? That's cute." He chuckled.

"Charmander, use Dragon Rage!" I ordered. He nodded and transformed into the fearsome lizard once more. A maniac roar escaped his throat as he lunged at Damian's Charmander. His claws sliced into the poor pokemon's flesh, causing it to cry out in pain.

"Scratch!" It whipped around and tried to injure my Charmander, but he dodged and unleashed a Metal Claw attack.

"Smokescreen, and then use another Dragon Rage!" I called. Black smoke blinded both Damian and his fire-type, and then Charmander raged at it once again. He defeated the other Charmander easily.

Damian's jaw dropped, "I don't believe it! You stupid little pokemon! This is the tenth time you've lost in a row! Damn weakling!"

I was busy praising my Charmander when I heard the commotion, "Hey! SHUT-UP!" The blue-haired man looked at me when I barked, "Your Charmander isn't weak, its just has a crappy trainer that doesn't know what he's doing. I can tell that it has a lot of potential if you'd evolve and train it better. You have to be patient when training a Charmander, and that's why mine is so much stronger. Our bond and I'm just the better trainer."

"Shut-up, bitch!" Damian spat angrily.

I stood up, "Stupid moron. You don't _want _to accept the truth," Charmander stood there, growling at him fiercely. He despised humans that insulted me. "It's OK, buddy. I'll be fine. You did a great job." I recalled him into his pokeball and placed it on my belt. Damian stomped his foot and roared. I rolled my eyes and two of us passed him. I paused to praise Damian's Charmander, and encourage it to become stronger before heading off to the Pokemon Center. After spending the night in the Center, we continued down Route Twenty-Five. There were few trainers, and soon we came across a beach. I thought we had reached a dead-end, but then Gabriel pointed towards a lighthouse. We wandered around on the beach until we reached the double doors of the tall, white lighthouse.

Gabriel placed his finger on the doorbell and awaited the answer. "_Hello?_" an accented voice asked.

"Hey, the name is Gabriel. I came here because a guy named Professor Oak told me that you could answer my questions. Your Bill, right?" the raven-haired boy asked.

"_Yes, I am. If Professor Oak asked you to, then you can come in._" The doors opened, and the two of us entered the lighthouse. The room inside was dark, but the lights came on quickly. I looked around, a little surprised. We were in standing in a room that reminded me of a palace, with fancy decorations and carpeted floors, and a large thrown. A man was sitting on the thrown, eyeing us curiously. He had short, curly brown hair and black irises. He wore a fancy red suit and yellow scarf. He must have been in his teens. "Hello, I'm Bill. And you must be Gabriel," he gestured to the boy. He nodded. He then looked at me, "And you?"

"Bella Vanielle." I said with a formal bow.

Bill's face brightened, "So you're the famous Bella I've heard so much about," He got off the thrown and bowed before me, "Its an honor to meet you in person."

I blinked, "Uh…thanks? But how do you know me?"

"Professor Oak talks about you, your sister, and his grandson all the time. He told me that had recently decided to join the Indigo League, and was now a trainer. I had hoped that we would meet eventually," Bill's eyes slid to the pale green egg, "Interested in breeding?"

I shook my head, "Not really. Ya'see, in Mt. Moon I encountered Team Rocket. They killed this egg's mom, and I so I stole the egg from them. There is no way I'd like them hurt a defenseless baby."

"That was very noble of you," Bill paused to look at the egg again, "although I am curious to know what kind of pokemon sleeps inside this egg. Team Rocket only spends their time taking the strongest of pokemon, so that should lead one to wonder what it will be. When it hatches, do tell me what the pokemon is, okay?"

I nodded, "Will do."

Bill then looked to Gabriel, "So what do you need?"

"Well," the raven-haired boy began, "I was wondering if you could tell me about Dratini."

"Dratini?" Bill looked thoughtful, and then he walked towards a control panel that was off to the side of the room. He pressed a few buttons, and then the lights went off again. I watched in amazement as the walls and the ceiling blinked to life, like a computer screen. Pictures of an adorable pokemon that resembled a snake with a baby-blue back and pure white skin appeared on the screen. White fines appeared to act as its ears. It had a large blue nose, and adorable purple irises. _SQUEE!!! _I screamed inwardly. "Ah yes. A dragon-type," he clicked around to show what appeared to be photos and glimpses of the pokemon, "most are thought of as common myth, seeing as they are so difficult to find and are rarely seen as a result. But we do have evidence that the legendary Dratini does, in fact, exist. Other signs include its fully evolved form, Dragonite. That is a pokemon that I have been communicating with recently, but I have not had a good glimpse of it yet. But I have found a way to translate its sound so that we can both speak with each other at a great distance." He explained.

"Really?" I asked.

Bill nodded, "Of course. You know, the world is filled with so many unseen wonders. Pokemon have yet to be discovered, and there are only one-hundred and fifty known pokemon in Kanto alone. There are many others in regions such as Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Even in the entire _world_ have yet to be discovered. We humans still have very little knowledge of the pokemon, and we seek to understand them. Yet it is difficult when we can not ascertain whether legendaries such as Mew even exist," I could have contradicted that statement, but I decided to remain silent, "Or to study Lugia, considering that they go out of their way to avoid us," once again, I was living proof that Lugia were very docile and helpful pokemon, "or how there are others that are extinct for sure," Images of over a hundred pokemon appeared on the screens. My jaw fell slack some, and I gazed up at all of the different types in awe. "Another question is: why do certain pokemon, under the care of a trainer, evolve? Most say that it is simply a natural occurrence, but when under a trainer, I think it is something far more. I think a trained pokemon's evolution requires the bond between its trainer. The love and friendship they feel for each other. A determination to protect the human that raised them," I listened to Bill as he spoke, and thought of Charmander. _A trained pokemon's evolution requires the bond between the pokemon and its trainer? Charmander… _"I hope that the both of you can discover the pokemon of our world, and bring their secrets to the light." He finished.

I nodded, "Don't worry…I plan to."

Bill smiled, "I know. Now, Gabriel, about the Dratini," He printed something out and handed the parchment to the younger male, "These coordinates will lead you to one."

"Thanks." He smiled at the paper.

"And before the both of you leave," Bill reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper, "I'd like you to have these tickets," He handed one to Gabriel and then me. They had a date, an image of a ship, and the name 'S.S. Anne' printed on them. "I was invited to the cruise, but I'm not into fancy things like that. So you are welcome to take my place."

I felt excited as I spoke, "Really!?" He nodded, and I embraced Bill, "Thank-you so much! This is the first cruise I've ever been on!"

Bill smiled and hugged me back, "Just stay in Vermillion City until its time to board the ship. Have fun, Bella," He let go of me and smiled, "I know that you will become an excellent trainer, and I hope to see you again. And just in case you want to contact me, here's my cell phone number." He printed out a slip of paper and handed it to me. I handed him my number in exchange.

I smiled and waved, "Bye. It was nice meeting you!" Gabriel and I left the lighthouse and began our trek to the Pokemon Center.

Gabriel chuckled, "I think he likes you."

"Huh? What makes you think that?" I asked.

"Nothing." I stared at him, shrugged, and then we continued on our way back to the Pokemon Center…

**Please review. And Bill will have more appearances in the future…**


	7. Chapter 7

**And now for the Cascade Badge…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my OCs. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 6: Soaked **

"_A poet, before anything else, is _

_A person who is passionately in love with words_."

-W.H. Auden

It was a long trip back to Cerulean City, but interesting to say the least. At the Pokemon Center, I ran into that Damian kid again. However, things did not happen the way I had hoped they would. He was bragging about all of the amazing pokemon he had caught, when really they were not that good. Common pokemon that could be found nearly everywhere. There was only one that seemed interesting, and that was Abra. He started bragging about his powerful pokemon, and how there is not any room for weaklings in his stash. Later, Gabriel and I continued back to the city. On the way, I found a Charmander sitting on a boulder. It was just lying on it, relaxing in the sun. I stopped to check on it, and it seemed to know me. I could tell from the way it looked at me. That's when I realized who's Charmander it was; Damian was trainer. I realized in that second that he abandoned his pokemon. I felt sick, and Gabriel tried to convince the fire-type to go with him. It refused. Charmander were unbelievably loyal to their trainer, and would listen to them no matter what. I knew how he abandoned it. Confronting Damian would be pointless; he was the kind of boy who would throw the life of a pokemon away without a second's hesitation. So, I simply left it some pokemon food before reluctantly leaving…

We arrived in Cerulean City nearly a day later. After battling so many trainers, I felt that my pokemon were ready to take on Misty, the water-trainer of Cerulean Gym. A break in the Pokemon Center had me standing in front of the Gym. My eyebrow twitched in an agitated way when I was forced to stare at the overly bright, cute colors and strange seal-creature that was I unfamiliar with. I walked through the double-doors and into what appeared to be a waiting room with a front desk and everything. I looked around. Nothing. Only the cry of joyful cheers could be heard. My legs carried me down the nearest corridor. Aquariums were built into the walls around me, only they lacked any water-type pokemon. I continued on into the strange Gym until I came across another set of doors. I glanced into the window.

The room beyond was relatively dark. There was swimming pool that was built outside of the ground; it had glass walls so that one could see what was inside. The inside of the pool was decorated like the ocean floor; with coral reefs, seaweed, and everything else. Water-type pokemon swam happily, performing difficult tricks and impressing the crowd of people, who cheered in response. What caught my attention the most was a girl. She had long, flowing dark blue tresses, pale skin, and dark brown irises. She was dressed like a mermaid. There was another girl; she stood on a platform over the water, and appeared to be knelt down, talking to the other girl. She had long, bright pink hair and dark blue eyes. She was dressed like a man; a prince to be more precise. Somewhere off to the side, there was a third girl. She had long, wavy golden blonde hair and bright ocean green irises. She was not dressed in a costume, just her normal attire. I could tell that she was narrating a story; because she was talking into a microphone and reading from a piece of paper. The crowd that occupied the stands wore entranced expressions, as if gazing at the most beautiful thing they had ever laid eyes on. I just stood at the window, watching as they story continued to unfold. Pokemon training was important to me, but I always enjoyed good literature and plays. I enjoyed acting, too.

The story continued on, and soon I joined the enthralled spectators. The characters performed difficult, yet gorgeous executed stunts in the pool. Beautiful poetry told of a tragic love-story between a mermaid and a human prince. Romance was so amazing, and I enjoyed stories that revolved around them. I did not realize that the play ended until one of the doors smacked me in the nose. I jumped out if the crowd's way as they left the room talking and laughing. I rubbed my sore nose and grumbled something about people who cannot watch where they are going. _Guess it's over. _I went ahead and entered the room. The lights were on, and the pool was in the ground. Three girls were standing near it. The blue-haired one was dressed like a prince, the pink-haired one was dressed in a bathing suit, and the blonde was dressed like a normal girl in her early twenties. All three were very young. I ran down the stairs and leapt over the bars that were meant to keep people away from the pool area, and quickly ran towards them.

The blonde looked at me first, and soon the other two followed. She put her hands on her hips, "Uh…sorry, but we, like, don't do autographs."

"I'm not here for an autograph." I said as I stopped in front of her.

One of her eyebrows rose and she glanced at the others, "Then what are you here for? You don't look like a reporter. Where's the camera crew? Which station do you, like, work for?" She began asking several questions.

"I'm not a reporter either," I was beginning to lose my patience. She had the voice of senseless girl that used 'like' too many times, "I'm a pokemon trainer, and I'm here to fight the Gym Leader."

They quickly turned away from me and began chatting amongst themselves. My eyebrow twitched. _Ugh…they remind me of those preppy girls that abuse the word 'like', wear as much bright, and sparkly make-up as humanly possible, are obsessed with buying a coach purse so that they can _look _rich…what's the difference between a normal purse and a coach purse? They look the same to me. Heck, I don't even _carry _a purse; I just keep my money and cell phone in my pockets. It's easier; I tried using a purse and they're a pain to carry around all freakin day. They also remind me of those girls that sit in the cafeteria at school gossiping about people who are sitting behind you, and they start looking at the people behind you, and then make you paranoid and think that they are talking about you. _And that is exactly what they were doing. They would say something, look at me, and then start chatting again. _Are they waiting for me to leave or something? _I sighed and waited for them to say something to me.

Finally, the blonde turned to me, "So you want a Cascade Badge?" I nodded, "Well…I could just give it to you." She suggested.

My eyes narrowed, "Why? I want _earn _a badge, not just get one."

"Okay," she sighed, "I'll be your opponent." She turned on her heel and approached the pool. She climbed onto a float on the water, and pointed at the opposite end. I shakily stepped onto the floor and just sat there. It was kind of scary standing on a float in the middle of a giant, twenty-foot deep pool. I could not even see the bottom of the pool.

The pink haired girl climbed a nearby ladder and onto the diving board. She held up her arms and two flags, and began her job as referee; "Today's match is between Daisy Kasumi, one of the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City, and challenger…" her announcement sounded so professional, and really set the mood until she paused, "uh…like, what's your name?" She looked at me with a confused expression.

I sighed and shook my head. _Ladies and gentlemen: THAT is how you kill the mood. _"My name is Bella Vanielle, of Pallet Town."

"Pallet?" the pink haired girl asked. She must have been the youngest out of the three, because was not even in her twenties yet; but she was older than me, "Wow! Your our third challenger from that place. Like, that's kinda scary and, like, cool," _Just get on with it! _I tapped my foot on the float, waiting for her to finish babbling. She must have noticed the way I was glaring at her, because she huffed in annoyance and continued on, "Anyway, and, like, challenger Bella Vanielle from Pallet Town will totally fight here today. They are aloud to use only three pokemon. Start!"

Daisy reached into her pocket and tossed a pokeball into the air. It released an explosion of ivory light and fell into her hand once more. The light landed in the water, and slowly mutated into a pokemon. It was a purple shell with a black creature inside; the creature's tongue protruded from the opening, and I could see its large eyes. _Shellder, a water-type. They always have their tongues sticking out. They usually live on the seafloor. _I quickly called on Nidoran. "Shellder, like, use your Water Gun!" Daisy ordered. Cool liquid shot from the water-type's mouth.

"Dive," Nidoran had a weird look on her face as she dove into the pool. Daisy and the other two girls mimicked my pokemon's expression. "Now use Poison Sting!" I shouted, and she leapt up out of the water and at Shellder. He fangs sunk into Shellder as much as possible, and soon the poison began to take effect. "Now Double Kick!" Nidoran jabbed her feet into the pokemon, and dunked it under water as a result.

"Supersonic!" the golden blonde cried. Shellder emerged from the water and screeched, causing Nidoran to move uneasily in the water. She was confused. "Like, use Icicle Spear!" Sharp shards of ice appeared in front of Shellder and flew at Nidoran, impaling her and causing her to cry out in pain. That must have snapped out of her confused stupor, because Nidoran's eyes concentrated solely on the pokemon in front of her.

"Fury Attack!" I cried. She swam forward and began to slash at the Shellder with her claws, and bite at it with her fangs. "Quick Attack!" One last attack, with the aid of poison, was all it took to knock the Shellder unconscious.

Daisy stomped her foot in aggravation, "That's so totally not fair!" She recalled Shellder and then summoned a pretty, white and red fish. _Goldeen, a water-type. They dislike being kept in captivity. They are easy to find in nearly any body of water. _

"Poison Sting!" Nidoran swam at Goldeen, but the water-type evaded her. That was to be expected seeing as it was made to swim, and Nidoran was naturally a land creature.

Daisy smirked, "Water Pulse!" Blue rings escaped the water-type's mouth and wrapped around Nidoran, both injuring and confusing her.

"Shake it off!" I called.

"Drag it under!" Goldeen grabbed Nidoran's foot with its mouth and pulled her under the water's surface. I could see the bubbles, and began to feel frantic.

"Poison Sting!" A second later, Nidoran swam up and devoured the fresh oxygen hungrily. "Good job," I praised, "Now Bite!" She dove under and returned with Goldeen's fins clamped in her jaw. The water-type appeared to be unconscious; mostly due to the poison. "Great job, Nidoran!" The blue pokemon leapt onto the platform and rubbed her soaked head against my jeans. I stroked her back and fed her a treat. That's when I noticed that something was off. There was a silver lining around her body. I stared at it for a second, and watched in amazement as a white light engulfed Nidoran's entire body. Slowly, she began to grow into something bigger. She was not too big, but big enough that carrying her would be a challenge. The light vanished and revealed her new body.

Nidoran's crimson irises were now sharp and fierce. Her ears were a little more jagged; sharp spikes protruded from her back. Her fangs and claws were sharper, and she was bigger and far more vicious than before. _Nidorina, the evolved form of a female Nidoran. She is a gentle pokemon, and would be a carrying mother. Her own kind share close bonds, but she can become a fierce beast when needed. _I smiled and embraced my newly evolved pokemon, "Congratulations, Nidorina! You're freakin awesome!" She growled in appreciation. I pulled out her pokeball, "You deserve a good rest." And recalled her. My next pokemon was Pikachu. He looked a little terrified by the water.

Daisy called on her next pokemon. Like the other, it was a fish; only this fish was far bigger than the last. I could actually ride on it. It was orange with white fins, and black designs on its body. _Seaking, the evolved form of Goldeen. There is hardly anything here other than they travel north of rivers to lay their eggs in the fall. _"Water Gun!" Water spurt from Seaking's mouth. Pikachu jumped out of the way, and sat there trembling.

"Thunderbolt!" Golden lightning shot from the electric type's cheeks and engulfed the Seaking. It cried out in pain, and shook the electricity off. "Now dive and…huh?" That was when I realized the truth. Pikachu was afraid of water. I sighed. _Keeping him on the platform would be a wise decision. _"Thunder Wave!" Smaller sparks shot from his cheeks and engulfed the Seaking, successfully paralyzing it. Considering how weak water-types were to electric types, defeating Seaking would not be all that difficult. "Thunderbolt, again!" More golden lightning. I continued to order the attack until it was apparent that Seaking and Daisy had lost.

Daisy stomped her foot, "AAH! That's _so _unfair! How could Seaking lose?"

"Because water-types are weak against electric-types." I said flatly.

"Tch…pokemon battles are so stupid. They're, like, a waste of my time," She got off of her float and snapped her fingers. A white seal creature came out of nowhere and opened its mouth, revealing a blue teardrop on its tongue. _Seel, a water-type. They live in the water, and rarely come onto land. They live in usually arctic weather. _Daisy took the badge and handed it to me. She smiled, "Here. You totally earned it." I smiled at the badge and placed it in the case alongside my Boulder Badge.

"So…" I decided to ask the question that had been on my mind for some time, "What was with the show?"

Daisy smiled, "We're the Three Sensational Sisters! I'm the oldest, Daisy. This is my younger sister, Violet" she gestured to the blue-haired girl, "and the third is Lily," The pink-haired girl was next, "We have a fourth sister, but she's not as pretty as us and is not a Sensational Sister. She's the Gym Leader; but recently, she left to become a water-type master or something. So we're in charge of shows and battles," she sighed, "a serious pain."

"Sisters?" I gasped, "But you guys look nothing alike!"

Violet giggled, "Nope. A lot of people are, like, surprised when we tell them we're related."

"Good luck with the League thingie." Lily said.

I nodded and smiled back, "Will do. And good luck with your shows. I might come back to watch sometime." I left the Gym after praising and recalling Pikachu, feeling very proud of myself. I checked the egg in my arms, and then headed for the Pokemon Center…

**End of this chapter. Please review…**


	8. Chapter 8

**And the next chapter is up. I only own one of the new characters introduced in this chapter. This chapter is kind of a filler. I have very little to say, so without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 7: Ally **

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_And enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

My journey in Pallet started only a month or so ago. That was the day that I had met and befriended the pokemon Charmander, and set off to become a trainer. During my trip to Viridian City, I managed to catch a wild Nidoran. I caught a Pikachu in Viridian Forest. At Pewter City, I managed to defeat the Gym Leader Brock and earn a Boulder Badge. My journey eventually brought me to Cerulean Cave, where I ran into the infamous criminal gang known as Team Rocket. I stole an orphaned pokemon egg from them along with a fossil. When I feared that things would go horribly wrong, a group of Clefairy appeared and saved me. Then, I came across Cerulean City and stayed there to train for a few days. Gary Oak and I had a battle, but it ended in both of our starters fainting at once. After that, Gabriel took me to meet the famous Bill. He gave us a lecture in pokemon, and then two S.S. Anne tickets. After that, I fought the Gym Leaders in Cerulean and earned my Cascade Badge; and Nidoran evolved into Nidorina, too.

Another day followed after earning my Cascade Badge. After a trip to the Pokemon Center, I found myself walking down Route Five. I stayed in the Route to battle as many trainers as I could, and strengthen Nidorina, Pikachu, and Charmander. The Route was filled with powerful trainers, and I often found myself going to a nearby Pokemon Center to heal my injured partners. I made sure to feed them when they wanted it, and simply hangout with them rather than just train. That was why Charmander was so strong even at the level he was at. There was one thing that Gary did not know, and that was the true essence of a pokemon's strength: it depended on how strong the bond between master and pokemon were. That is what my mother taught me when I was younger. I could remember her words loud and clear.

_I remembered being a twelve-year-old girl. I was at the house back in Pallet, playing with my mother's Persian. Eventually, I became bored and wandered into the backyard. There I found her, my mother, standing in the backyard. She was wearing a simple, baggy t-shirt with jeans and socks. In her hand she held a red and white pokeball. She held it up and called forth the pokemon that slept inside of the orb. It had been so long since I had laid eyes on her starter, I was surprised when the gigantic Nidoqueen appeared. It was a large, blue colored dragon-like creature, without wings, and crème-yellow designs that resembled a two-piece bathing suit. One could tell that it was female because of certain characteristics around the chest area. _

_Mom was given Nidoqueen when it was still a female Nidoran. It was a gift from my maternal grandmother. She left for her own journey the next day, and trained Nidoran until it became the powerful being it was today. I watched in awe as she battled one of her old childhood friends, who had been visiting Pallet for the day. It was long, fierce battle that was worthy of the League. In the end, my mother was the victor. I ran up to her and cheered, "That was cool, Mommy! You totally kicked that guy's arse! How long did it take you train Nidoqueen so that it'd be so strong?" I remembered asking._

_Mom smiled down at me, "A few years," she stated, "But it's not just the training. Sure, it improved her abilities; but Nidoqueen is far more powerful than any other of her species for other reasons. I did so much more than train."_

"_Like what?" I asked, wanting to know the secrets of creating a powerful pokemon._

_She continued on, "I bonded with her. I became Nidoqueen's closest ally and friend. The trust that we built was the foundation from which strength increased, and soon she became a powerful Nidoqueen," she paused, "Bella…promise me that you will bond with your pokemon…that you will not just use them as tools, but treat them as if they were equals."_

_I nodded, "I'd never mistreat a pokemon! And don't you worry, I'll bond with pokemon like my life depends on it!" _

"_Good." She giggled. After that, she made spaghetti for us and gave Nidoqueen her best batch of homemade pokemon food…_

That memory was a reminder of how to become a great trainer. I would use it as a stepping stone to victory. I continued to bond with my pokemon, and battle trainer after trainer to keep them in shape. Satisfied with the results, I decided to continue on to Vermillion City. The forests that surrounded me were beautiful and peaceful; so calming and relaxed. I enjoyed strolling through nature and simply absorbing the elements that surrounded me. All of that changed when I ran into an unlikely pair in Route Five. One was a boy with short, messy dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a short-sleeved, bright red jacket with black sleeves and white lining. Bright blue pants covered his legs, and red, black, and white sneakers acted as his footwear. He wore a red cape with white lining, and a bright yellow and black backpack. He must have been fourteen.

There was a girl with him. She appeared to be fifteen-years-old. She had long, silky dirty blonde hair that was tied back with a black hair band. A long-sleeved, black form-fitting hoodie covered her torso while jeans covered her legs. She wore black sneakers, and a belt with two pokeballs on it. Both of them were in a heated battle, fighting as if their very lives depended on it. The boy was commanding an Ivysaur, while the girl had sent a Pikachu after it. I paused to watch as the battle unfolded. It was exciting, waiting to see which trainer would be victorious in the end. They were both strong trainers, and their pokemon reflected their skills. The battle ended with a draw, both of them laughing and wishing the other the best of luck. I turned to leave when I heard a male voice speak, "Hey!" I turned to it, and found both of them walking towards me. When they were close enough to have a normal conversation, the male continued, "I know you! You're that girl from Pallet…Bella, was it?"

"Yeah, that's me," I replied, "but who're you?"

He gestured to himself, "Names Taylor Sykes, also known as 'Red'."

"Red!" I realized. Red and I never spoke very much, but we were on good terms, "How've you been?"

"Fine. Just got my first two badges. You?" he asked in a friendly manner.

"I have two, too," I smiled. I turned to the girl, "And you are?"

"Elizabeth Right," She greeted. "But please call me Lizzie."

"I'm Bella Vanielle," Was my reply. "I don't think I've seen you around Pallet."

"Nope. I'm from Saffron City." Lizzie replied.

I digested the name, "Saffron?"

"Have you never heard of it before?" she asked.

I nodded, "Oh…I have." _I still can't believe that I have to go there to get my fifth badge. This is going to be a challenge. _I thought nervously. I had never been to Saffron, and there was a reason why. My mind was redirected from Saffron and to my stomach when it released a mighty growl. A blush crept onto my cheeks.

"Hungry?" Lizzie giggled. I nodded sheepishly. "Then I'll cook lunch." Nearly two hours later, and I found myself sitting under a tree with Red and Lizzie. Nidorina, Pikachu, and Charmander were munching on some pokemon food along with Lizzie's pokemon: a female Pikachu named Chi, and a Pidgeotto. Red's pokemon, an Ivysaur, a Mankey, and a Psyduck ate their own food. We were too busy laughing and talking to notice the unwelcome newcomer.

"Char char!" I turned to my pokemon, and found something else nearby. It was a dog with orange fur; it had peach colored fur on its head. Its fluffy tail was peach, too. Black stripes decorated its body; playful black irises gazed at me as it carried a hotdog in its mouth. _Growlithe, a fire-type. They are fiercely loyal to their trainers. They live in warm plains and near or in active volcanoes. This one is a male. _I narrowed my eyes, "What are you doing?"

It growled, jerked around, and took off running. "Hey!" I called. I placed the egg in my bag and sprinted after the fire pooch. I ran into the forest and weaved through the trees to keep up with its fast pace. I leapt at it and attempted to grab it; the Growlithe jerked around and bit my arm. I cried out in pain and cradled my injured limb as it ran away. "Dammit!" I cursed and stomped back to the camp. Red and Lizzie wore curious expressions. The blonde leapt up and pulled a medical kit out of her bag. She immediately treated my arm. It was wrapped in gauze and bandages. I groaned and collapsed to the ground, feeling like an invalid. Charmander stroked my leg with his nose; he was trying to comfort me. I stroked my pokemon's head and smiled at him.

After that incident, we packed our things and continued down the road. Route Five was full of strong trainers. I was forced to keep the egg in my bag; my arm was too sore to carry it. I took my frustration out on the battles with other trainers. My pokemon had grown so much since I had caught them. It was nice, being able to watch them grow, and to know that it was because of me. My patience as a trainer was tested one day while on the Route, though. The three of us separated a day or so ago. They wanted to go on to Vermillion City; I decided to stay in the Route and train. So, I had been alone with my pokemon again. I was walking along the road, thinking of my battle plan against the next Gym Leader. _Ground and rock types are almost immune to electric-types…but I'm not interested in any of those pokemon. And…I don't want to catch one just to use it. I want to bond with my pokemon. And…yes…I'll win the fight using Charmander. Fire-types can match electric-types easily. I haven't been relying on him very much, and I should probably start using him more often. _I felt nervous, suddenly. _I need to go to Saffron City for my fifth badge. I wonder how she'll react to seeing me…I remember meeting her when I was little, but its been years since our last meeting. I think its because Mom said that she was unstable and too dangerous. Hmm…I'll need a ghost type for Saffron…but I hate ghosts! They scare the crap outta me. _

There was a reason that I did not want to go to Saffron. The reason lay mostly with the Gym Leader that I would have to meet. I wondered how she would react to seeing me after so many years. That was when I noticed it. A Growlithe was lying on the road; it was bleeding heavily. I ran to it, and realized that it had been the same pokemon that stole my hotdog. I knelt down beside it; it appeared as though someone had slashed at it with a knife or something. There was not any time to waste. I grabbed a pokeball and touched the Growlithe with it. It was absorbed into the ball, which only shook for a few seconds. It clicked, and I found myself sprinting to a nearby city.

I ran past a station and straight into the city. It was humungous. I was completely lost, and I had to ask multiple people where the Pokemon Center was before I finally found it. I sprinted inside and jerked to a stop in front of the desk. One of the many Nurse Joys of the world looked surprised to see me. "I just found a Growlithe that needs special care _right now_!" I said immediately. I handed her the pokeball, and she rushed behind a pair of doors without question. I sighed and leaned against the counter. _Might as well heal my other pokemon while I'm at it. _It took Nurse Joy a few minutes to return.

"Your Growlithe is in critical condition, but he will live." She said with a smile.

_My Growlithe? Oh yeah…I caught it. _I broke my own policy of having pokemon of the same type. But it would be cruel to just abandon Growlithe after helping him. I sighed and gave my pokemon to Nurse Joy, then rented a room for the night. _A nap will help me sort things out. _I thought as I walked up the stairs and hid in my bedroom…

_Bright orange test-tubes. A darkened lab filled with scientists and computers. A strange, yet familiar pokemon floating in a test-tube. Three other pokemon are beside it, but they are more common. This one is different. Completely and utterly different. The essence of a fifth clone is nearby. I can feel the strange pokemon prying at my mind, trying to communicate with me. An explosion. A giant tower…my desire…is… _there was a soft thud as my eyes opened; _FREEDOM!_ I shot up from the bed and began taking deep breaths. A low sigh, and I was lying on my back again. _Ugh…that dream again. _I was no stranger to the images. They haunted me since my childhood. I never understood them, and my mother said that there was not a reason for me to even think of them. But I was hard to ignore them.

I ran a hand through my blonde tresses and cocked my head to the side; the moon hung over Saffron City. It was so beautiful…it reminded me of my eyes. _I wonder…is Gary looking at the moon right now? _I blinked and mentally slapped myself. _And why would I care if he is? Staring at the moon is his own business! That irritating prick can go jump off a cliff for all I care…and take his cheerleaders with him, too. _I folded my arms over my chest and huffed. _I try to accept others like Mom taught me…but…I can't accept Team Rocket…and I can't stand Gary. I can't stand either of them. I just hope that I have to see less and less of them in the future. _I was drug from my thoughts by a scream of pain. I jerked out of bed and glanced around, searching for the source. It was not in my room. I growled, jumped out of the bed, and sprinted out of my room. I descended the stairs and into the lobby of the Pokemon Center.

My head went from side-to-side as I scanned the room. It did not take long for me to find an injured Nurse Joy, kneeling on the floor and trembling in fear. My eyes narrowed into slits when I saw the reason why. There was a man standing over her with a devious grin on his face; the man must have been around either twenty-three of twenty-five. He had short, bright green hair with a bluish tint. Sharp, dark brown irises gazed down at the trembling woman. His skin was a darker tone than mine. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt with a bright red 'R' on the front. The turtle-neck collar of the shirt was white with a red stripe. White gloves covered his arms, almost up to his elbows; they both had a red stripe on the top. A white belt held up black pants, and white boots that matched his gloves acted as his footwear. I could see two pokeballs on his belt. 

And he was not alone. There was a woman who appeared to be around the same age standing beside him. She had long, bright golden blonde hair that was tied back into two pigtails. She had purple irises, and her skin tone was the same as mine. She wore some lipstick and a pair of triangle shapped, bright pink earrings. A short-sleeved, black dress covered her torso and pelvis. White gloves that matched the man's covered her arms from her hands until her forearms. White boots reached her thighs, and acted as her footwear. I could see two pokeballs on her belt. Like the man, she had a bright red 'R' on the front of her short dress. There was a Raticate, the evolved form of Rattata, standing near her.

_Team Rocket! _I could feel the anger boiling in my blood. _I can't just abandon Nurse Joy. _I jumped from behind the pillar I had been hiding near, and moved so that I was in full view. "I'll give you one last chance," the woman said menacingly, "Where is _she_?"

"I don't know!" the pink-haired nurse sobbed.

I lost it, "Hey!" Both of them looked at me and smiled. They high-fived each other. _Uh…am I important? _"Leave her alone!"

The woman grinned, "Do you even know who we are?"

"Idiots?" I grinned at my own insult.

The green-haired man furrowed his brows, "No, we're…" his voice reminded me of a chain-smoker or something. It hurt my ears to hear. _Too bad because he has a cute face. _I thought. I noticed when they both moved to stand in an odd position. The man opened his mouth:

"Prepare for trouble, you got that right!" he said dramatically.

"And make it double!" the woman said in the same tone.

"'Cause we're here for a fight!" the man added.

"To infect the world with devastation." The woman said.

"To blight all peoples within every nation!" the man added.

The woman spun around and changed her pose, "To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!" As did her male partner.

The girl smirked at me, "Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course." Her male companion said quickly.

They changed their poses into something even more strange, "We're Team Rocket, circling earth all day and night!" The woman, Cassidy, continued.

"Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight, fight, fight!" Butch finished. They both ended their overly dramatic introduction in a ridiculous pose. My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. _Ugh! I hate that guy's voice. He sounds like he's really hoarse or something. _

For some reason, I had a feeling that the two were very incompetent, "Why are you here?" I decided to cut to the chase.

"We're here for _you_." The green-haired man replied.

It took me a second to register what he had said, "Me?" I squeaked.

"Yes. Our Boss wants to see you," Cassidy replied. "And we're prepared to take you conscious or not."

I reached for my waist, "There's no way that I'll go with you idiots!" _What does Team Rocket want with me? Does it have something to do with Mt. Moon? _My hand curled around air. I blinked and looked down. My pokeballs were gone. _WHAT!? Oh…wait. _I was wearing a baggy, white t-shirt, a pair of mini-shorts, and socks. And my pokeballs were with Nurse Joy. _Dammit! _I cursed silently.

"Things will be easier for the both of us if you come willingly." Cassidy said.

I glared at her, "No freakin way!" The green-haired man lunged at me. I shrieked and jumped out of his way, "Stay away fro me, Hutch!"

He turned and glared at me fiercely, "The name's _Butch_, not Hutch!"

"Do I even care?" Honestly, I could care less what his name was. I was praying that I would never see them again. Cassidy's Raticate flew at me, and I screamed and ducked behind a couch. The man who's name I could not remember sprang at me, and I did a James Bond dive-and-roll to avoid him. I sprinted from behind the couch, but ended up tripping over myself and smacking my forehead against Nurse Joy's desk. I flipped over onto my back and cradled my sore noggin. The room spun in rapid circles around me. "Oooh…" I moaned as I waited for my sight to repair itself. It did so just in time for me to witness Raticate tackling me. I screamed and covered my head in a futile attempt to protect myself.

There was a loud bark. Cries of pain and shock filled the room. I opened my eyes and turned my attention on the action before me. Growlithe, the one that I saved, had tackled the Raticate to the floor and was in a wrestling match with it. He leapt off of the rat and released a powerful Flamethrower attack. The rat was knocked out immediately. Growlithe turned on both Biff and Cassidy, and snarled at them like a rabies infected hound. I grinned at them evilly. "I'll give you five seconds to scram."

They stared at the fire-type nervously. "One…three…" They shrieked in fear, turned, and sprinted out of the Center. Growlithe snorted and pounced on me. He started licking my face, and I giggled at the puppy's antics. "Thanks for saving me, boy," I stroked his soft orange fur. I made my decision there. "And you're the new addition to my team, right?" Growlithe barked in agreement. I embraced my new found pooch and laughed when he licked my cheek again.

"Thank-you," Nurse Joy sighed as she rose from the floor. "Team Rocket has been controlling our city for a while now."

I looked at her, "Why?"

"They took control over the Silph Corporation. Because of that, they now have power over our city. Its common to see them patrolling the streets now." She explained.

I nodded, "I see…" _If they are after me, then I should probably get out of here quickly. _I stood up, "Are you done with my pokemon?" She nodded. I quickly ran upstairs, with Growlithe behind me, and re-entered my bedroom. I changed into my daily attire and repacked my gear before running downstairs and claiming my pokemon from the nurse. I bid her farewell, and evacuated the city. I tried to recall Growlithe into his pokeball, but he would just pop out every time I did. I gave up eventually, and just continued on with him following behind me. I wondered the next Route in the dark, with nothing but a flashlight until the tall buildings of Vermillion City appeared in the distance…

**The plot thickens. Please review and the next chappie will be up soon…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank-you for your review ****Wolfy Pup****. Next chapter is up. I'll try to make this fight as long as possible, but not too boring; but it is going to be short simply because Surge has only one pokemon. The battles are getting harder for Bella now…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 8: Electrified **

"_One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands_.

_Lasting peace comes not from force_."

-David Borenstein

It only took a few hours to reach Vermillion. The Pokemon Center was easy to find; so I went to bed as soon as I got there. The next morning I was greeted by an exceptionally energetic Growlithe. I reclaimed my pokemon from the Nurse Joy in Vermillion and left the Center. It had to be the biggest city yet. Tall buildings surrounded me. There was even a harbor. I took some time to rest and eat breakfast at a nearby restaurant before leaving the city and training in a nearby Route. After two days of training, I decided to challenge the Gym Leader.

Finding the Gym was really easy. It was a giant, two-story building. The color was mostly green, but with giant windows decorating the walls completely. Statues shapped like yellow lightning added some original flare to the building. _Well, that gives the element away immediately. _I thought as I climbed the stairs and entered the Gym. First I came to a lobby. I walked down a nearby hallway and soon found myself in a Gym that lacked decorations. No swimming pools or rocks anywhere. There was a man, though. I called out to him, "Hey! Do you know where the Gym Leader is?"

The man turned and approached me. He stopped when he was directly in front of me. I felt nervous around him. The man had to be a giant. He was extremely tall, and a little intimidating. He had short, dark golden blonde hair that was spiked upwards. His skin was deeply tanned by the sun. Blue irises gazed down at me. He wore the green como-outfit of a man who was in the army. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing extremely muscular arms. I was a little scared, to tell the truth. "Why's a little girl in my Gym?" he asked in a deep voice.

I gulped, "I-I came to challenge you." I sounded a little uneasy as I spoke.

He threw his head back and laughed, "That's funny! A little baby is going to challenge me? That's rich!"

My eyebrows furrowed and I stomped my foot on the ground, "Hey! I'm a trainer and I'm here to get my third freakin badge! Its your job to fight me, got it? So do your job!"

He grinned, "You got guts, but 'yer still just a baby."

"Than let me prove that I can grow up and become a strong trainer in the end." I said calmly. He wanted me to lose my temper. So I fought back, and remained calm.

He was quiet for a moment. He seemed to be considering something, "Serious, huh?" He turned away and stomped to the other side of the ring. I went to my own side and grabbed my first pokeball. Growlithe was prepared to jump in, but I told him to stay away from the fight. He sat down and prepared to watch. The blonde man plucked a pokeball from his own belt and tossed it into the air. It opened, and allowed the pokemon within to run free.

It was like an bigger Pikachu. Its fur was orange, and it had a white belly. Its ears were curled slightly, and they were completely black. Determined black irises gazed at me. It had yellow cheeks instead of red. The tips of all four paws were dark brown. Dark brown strips decorated its back. It had a long, skinny black tail; the tip was shapped like a large yellow lightning bolt. I pulled out my pokédex. _Raichu, the evolved form of Pikachu. They are more aggressive than their earlier forms, but have been known to hide from humans in fear and to be timid. They live in forests and vibrant woodlands. _I quickly called on Charmander.

"Heh!" the man laughed, "A baby trainer is used a baby pokemon in a fight."

I ignored his taught, "My name is Bella Vanielle, and I'm from Pallet Town."

"Lieutenant Surge Matis," the blonde smirked, "From Vermillion City. Each of us can use one pokemon. Now, Raichu, use Thunderbolt!" Golden lighting shot at Charmander. He evaded the attack.

"Metal Claw!" I cried. Charmander ran at the Raichu with silver claws.

"Take Down!" The electric-type attempted to tackle Charmander, but my starter was too fast. He slammed his claws on Raichu and injured it. The attack was not very strong. "ThunderShock!" I was surprised by the sheer power of the lightning bolt. It hit Charmander, leaving him wounded and disoriented. "Body Slam!" Raichu used all of its body weight, causing Charmander to cry out in pain.

"Dragon Rage!" Charmander transformed into the fearsome beast and flew at Raichu.

"ThunderShock!" Surge ordered. The electric rodent released a discharge of golden lightning again. Charmander tried to evade the attack, but instead he was electrocuted by the powerful attack. My jaw dropped as I stood there. _His Raichu is way too slow; it should be a whole lot faster by now. He probably evolved it as soon as he got it. But its power makes up for its lack in speed. If I don't take it out soon, then Charmander will lose. _"Mega Punch!"

"Evade!" The orange lizard leapt to the side, "Metal Claw!" His claws began to shimmer as he leapt at the rodent.

"Take Down and then Mega Punch!" Unfortunately, Charmander was close enough that even the extremely slow Raichu could catch him. It sent the poor fire breather spiraling to the ground, and then slammed its fist into his jaw.

"Dragon Rage!" I cried; there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Charmander jerked up and began flashing at Raichu. The latter guarded his attack, and then used a powerful Mega Punch that sent the former soaring across the Gym.

"Take Down and then Thunder Shock!" Surge placed his hands on his hips and grinned like a proud father.

I opened my mouth to give Charmander another command, but the words were lost to time as Raichu ran across the Gym and began to pound my pokemon into the floor. I could feel the sweat that was induced by anxiety on my forehead. _Charmander… _both Bill and my mother came to mind. Their words on the bond between master and pokemon. How one must bond with them to encourage them to grow stronger and evolve. But my Charmander remained in his first form while other starters already evolved at least once. I felt weak; like I had failed Charmander as both a trainer and a friend. "C-Charmander…u-use Dragon Rage." I tried to say. He attempted to respond, but Raichu landed a nasty punch; there was a sick crunching sound when its fist contacted my starter's jaw.

I could feel my lower lip tremble as I whimpered, "C-Charmander…s-stop…stop…please…" Witnessing the torture of having my pokemon physically beaten was unbearable. He managed to fire an Ember attack at Raichu, but the latter would return a fearsome punch that I was sure had crushed a bone or two. _DAMMIT! I'm too weak to do something like this! It's because of me that Charmander is in this predicament…I… _

"Finish it off with a Thunder Shock." The golden blonde ordered. Raichu began to charge the static in its yellow cheeks. My heart leapt to my throat, and without thinking, I lunged at Charmander. I threw myself over my pokemon and embraced him. I could feel the hot tears as they ran down my pale cheeks.

"STOP!!!" I screamed; I just wanted the battle to end. To end the inhumane torture; but my cries were too late. Raichu released the attack, not realizing that I was standing between it and my pokemon. I watched in fear as the golden lightning flew at me like a golden viper, ready to end the life of its prey. Suddenly, something knocked me to the floor and out of harm's way. I craned my neck so that I could see what it was; Charmander was sitting near me breathing heavily. "Charmander!" I sat up and was prepared to hug him; but up close, I noticed that something was off. There was a silver lining around his body. "Charmander?" To my surprise, an ivory light engulfed his entire body. I watched as he slowly began to transform into something bigger and far more powerful. Seconds was the amount of time that passed during his transformation. The white that obscured him from view dispelled soon, allowing me to view my starter's new body. He was almost as tall as my old childhood friend, Jackie, who was around 4'11''; he was probably one foot shorter. His pale orange flesh had darkened into a deep, fiery red with an orange hue. His curious, sky blue irises were now sharp and dangerous; they were the eyes of a predator. His peach colored stomach was accentuated by the dark flesh of the rest of his body. There was a small, crimson horn jutting from the center of his skull. His claws and fangs were sharper and more fearsome than before. I was sure that the flame that burned on the tip of his tail had grown, too.

"Char!" the newly evolved fire-type spat in a rough voice. He glared at Raichu darkly and snarled. The flame on his tail grew, and he became even more fearsome than he already was. _Is he using Dragon Rage? _The crimson pokemon flew across the Gym and tackled Raichu; his claws began to leaving deep gashes and cuts on the electric rodent. He threw his head back in a loud roar, and then aimed a powerful Ember attack at Surge's pokemon. Said man was paralyzed in shock. His jaw was slack, and his eyes were wide. He never expected my 'baby pokemon' to evolve in the middle of the battle, apparently. Of course, neither did I. It was hard to believe that my sweet little Charmander evolved into such a terrifyingly powerful pokemon.

"Mega Punch!" Surge ordered after regaining his bearings. Raichu decked my pokemon in the jaw and knocked him to the floor. The fire lizard prepared a Metal Claw and lunged at the orange electric-type. The latter was hit by the attack. I shook myself back to reality and read my pokédex. _Charmeleon, the evolved form of Charmander. They tend to be stubborn, bad-tempered and hot-headed. It is common for them to fall into the mindset that they are too powerful to obey their inferior trainers, and will disregard commands issued by said humans. However, some will remain loyal to their trainer. They are scarce in the wild like their previous forms. But if found, they will usually be located in craggy mountains or near volcanoes. The ratio of males is higher than females. _

_Charmander evolved? _I wanted to cheer him on, but taking control of the situation was far more important. If he thought he was going to turn disobedient, then I should go ahead and give him the bad news. "Thunder Shock!" Surge ordered.

"Charmeleon!" I called, "Evade the attack!" I gestured towards the west of the Gym. The crimson lizard looked at me as though I had grown three heads, "Just do it!" He hesitated, but in the end he ran towards the wall just before Raichu could zap him with a powerful electric attack. When the lightning cleared, Charmeleon was no where in sight.

Surge threw his head back and bellowed, "What? Did I accidentally obliterate the baby pokemon?"

I grinned and rested my palms on my hips, "Not exactly," The older human looked at me with a raised eyebrow; my voice was far too smug for someone who had just lost a battle. I gestured upwards. His dark irises followed my finger and landed on the ceiling. If it were possible, I was sure that his jaw would have hit the floor in surprise. My precious Charmeleon had his claws dug deep into the ceiling and was hanging upside-down on the ceiling. "I think I just found a way to evade your lightning attacks other than searching for safe points in the actual storm." I could not help but grin in triumph. Our chances of winning the match had been increased significantly.

"Charmeleon, use your Dragon Rage attack." I said calmly. He changed into the fearsome beast and dropped from the ceiling, landing on top of Raichu. He attempted to slash at the rat, but it dodged and rolled away.

Surge's eyebrows knitted together, "Riachu, finish it off with a Thunder Shock!" Golden lightning shot from the orange mouse's yellow cheeks. It took the form of a dragon as it flew at the dark crimson lizard. Charmeleon's mouth opened, and I watched in amazement as a long stream of fire leapt from his throat. _That's not Ember! _The attack was too powerful to be Ember. I checked my pokédex; Charmeleon had just learned Flamethrower. Both attacks collided, and I was forced to wrap my arms around myself to shield my eyes from the blinding light that soon followed…

The trembling ceased. Rumbles from the heated battle died down. My silver-blue irises gazed upon the result of the collision of thunder and fire. Charmeleon was sitting on the floor, scratching the back of his head with one of his back legs. The movement reminded me of Growlithe. To my surprise, Raichu was lying on the ground; it was unconscious. I could see the bleeding cuts and bruises that had been induced from Raichu's attacks on my poor fire-type. He appeared to be content with the moment. Raichu would have to stay with Nurse Joy for a while. _We won? _I asked myself silently. A smile spread over my face as the excitement took hold. Charmeleon and I managed to defeat the third Gym Leader. To say that Surge was shocked would be putting it mildly. He crossed the room and stopped beside his pokemon; he recalled it while shaking his head. The man looked at me and Charmeleon, and then walked up to me. He stopped in front of me; a low growl caught both of our attention. Charmeleon was growling at him.

"It's OK," I said. The fire-type ran up to me and sat down, glaring at the blonde man. I looked up at the towering human male expectantly.

He sighed and pulled something out of his pocket. I held my hand out and watched as he placed my third badge in my waiting palm, "Here kid," he said, "You earned it."

"Thank-you." I said with a curt nod.

He smirked, "You better be at the League when you got all eight or I'll be pissed, got it?"

"I will be," We shook hands. I turned to Charmeleon and embraced him. "Thank-you so much for this, buddy. We've come so far. And you've become so strong." I whispered.

"Char." The fire pokemon replied in a rough voice. Surprisingly, he hugged me back. I pulled away from him and recalled him into his pokeball. I quickly ran out of the Gym and outside. The sun felt so strange on my skin. My energy returned as I excitedly held the badge up. The golden flower, with a bright red gem in the center, glinted in the sunlight. I placed it in the small case along with the others. _I have the Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, and now the Thunder Badge. All I have left are the: Rainbow Badge, Soul Badge, Marsh Badge, Volcano Badge, and the Earth Badge. And then I'll claim the title as the Indigo League Champion. And who knows? Maybe I'll meet some legendary and rare pokemon along the way. _I placed the case in my pocket and meandered toward the Pokemon Center with Growlithe at my heels…

**Please review and the next chappie will be up soon…**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank-you for all of your wonderful reviews ****Wolfy Pup****, ****shadow-dog18****, and ****Whitney Lin****. And I must agree about the whole age thing. I think that ten is far too young to be worrying about romance; little kids should be worried about their youth and simply enjoying life. They need to be given time to grow both mentally and physically before they start getting involved with sharing their life with another person. Also, I might not be able to update as often, because I am currently working on my **_**.hack **_**fanfic, and a really important Algebra test is coming up. But I'll try to update regularly. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 9: Sunk**

"_When I stand before God at the end of my life_,

_I would hope that I not have a single _

_Bit of talent left, and could say_,

"_I used everything you gave me_"."

-Erma Bombeck

Three weeks flew by slowly than a Snorlax can walk. That was how it felt to me. I spent the next three weeks living in the Pokemon Center; idly waiting for the St. Anne cruise to arrive. More and more trainers were staying at the Center; it was probably because of the cruise. In fact, a majority of the passengers were pokemon trainers. I took the opportunity to train with a lot of them and make sure that my pokemon stayed in good health. Charmeleon was not as disobedient as my pokédex predicted he would be. He would only take charge of the situation when he felt that I was in danger. Growlithe was an extremely powerful pokemon; I began to wonder why he was near Vermilion in the first place. Nidorina took out enemies without breaking a sweat. She has grown so much over the past two months. Pikachu had become the fastest pokemon in my arsenal. His deadly electric attacks were force to be reckoned with. I made sure to call my mother and tell her everything that had happened; Irina and Professor Oak called me too. The Professor was not disappointed in my lack of my pokemon; instead, he was proud that I took time to bond with and strengthen the pokemon I already had. Gary had caught so many pokemon; I was beginning to think that he was neglecting them. Red had at least seven. And last was little Ash Ketchum. His starter was Pikachu, and apparently he had at least seven, like Red.

Sometimes at night, when I would be gazing up at the slowly forming moon, I would wonder where Mew and Lugia were. Would I ever see them again? Would I ever be able to thank Lugia for saving my life? Was Mew even alive? Another question was: how many legendaries were there? I wanted to see every one of them, and I planned to travel to every region possible if need be, just to see all of them. Once all three weeks had gone by, I repacked my bags and left the Pokemon Center. I crossed the entire city and to the port. It was my first time on a cruise, and I was excited about the experience. The ship was gigantic, and the colors were mostly red, black, and white; mainly white. Crowds of pokemon trainers prepared to board the ship; I followed them and flashed my ticket at the man in the red and green uniform. I entered the lavishly decorated the ship and began searching for my room. I dropped my stuff off in the room and left, with my pokemon still on my belt.

_Now, what's the first thing I'm going to do? _I wondered as I entered the main lobby of the ship. Tables full of home cooked meals and chairs covered the floors. There was a small arena for pokemon battles in the center of the room. I smiled at the beauty of the room and went ahead with dinner. Other trainers must have been thinking the same thing. I munched happily on some chicken and drank water, feeling quite content with the moment. Trainers made use of the arena and began showing off their skills in battle. After dinner, I went to watch as the battles unfolded and even began checking on everyone else's pokemon. I noticed that a lot of the other girls had 'cute' pokemon only. I was never interested in make up or the latest fashions, or having 'cute' pokemon only; I was always a tomboy. Besides, I was proud of the pokemon that I had. We trained so hard, and I knew that we would enter the League soon. A lot of people stopped to ask me about my pokemon egg. Even I was beginning to wonder when it would hatch.

My arm healed after Growlithe had bit it, so now I could tote the little egg around everywhere I went in my arms. During the many duels that took place, one trainer managed to shine over all others. He was probably in his thirties; he wore a black suit with a blue bow and white dress shirt underneath. His short, curly hair was dark brown, wore a top-hot, and had an odd mustache. His Raticate was extremely powerful, seeing as it defeated all of its opponents flawlessly. He appeared to own a Squirtle, too. I was surprised to see that one of the challengers happened to be none other than Ash Ketchum. I gaped when I saw the other fourteen-year-old step onto the stage.

Like Gary and I, Ash was fourteen. He had short, messy black hair, dark brown irises, and deeply tanned skin. He wore a red and white cap with the dark green symbol for the Pokemon League embedded on the front. It was hard to win that hat, and I remember Ash desperately writing thousands of letters to ensure that he was victorious in the end. And he was. He wore a dark green, short-sleeved t-shirt with a short-sleeved blue, yellow, and white jacket that was left unbuttoned. Blue, denim jeans covered his kegs, and black and white sneakers acted as his footwear. A bright yellow Pikachu stood at his side. I also noticed the Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock, nearby. He was standing next to a red-headed girl. Ash called on, not surprisingly, a Butterfree. The Gentleman used his Raticate in the fight.

"Ready Butterfree?" Ash called to his bug-type.

"Free!" the purple butterfly replied with a nod of its head.

He smirked, "Use Tackle!" The purple bug dove at Raticate, but the latter dodged the attack.

"Hyper Fang!" the Gentleman ordered in a heavy southern accent.

"Dodge it and use Gust!" the raven haired teen called. Butterfree moved at the right time and began creating a small windstorm that slammed the brown rat against the ceiling.

"Quick Attack!" Raticate began to shine ivory as it lunged at Butterfree and successfully landed a hit. Ash flinched as though the attack had wounded him, too.

I decided that some support was necessary, "C'mon Ash! Show'em what your made of!" I cupped my hands over my mouth and called out an assortment of cheers.

The boy was surprised to see me, but he got over it quickly and called out another order, "Stun Spore!" Golden powder fell from Butterfree's wings and paralyzed the Raticate. "Now Quick Attack!" Butterfree finished it off. Ash praised his pokemon and embraced it.

_He's trained that Butterfree well. _I thought as I approached the boy. I waved at him, "Great job, Ash."

He smiled at me, "Thanks, Bells. It's been a while, huh? How 'ya been?"

"Great. My Charmander just evolved into a Charmeleon, and I managed to get my Nidoran to become a Nidorina a few weeks ago," I replied. "And now I'm playing the role of Mommy for a baby pokemon." I held out the egg.

"Cool! What's it gonna be?" the raven haired boy asked in excitement.

I shrugged, "Not sure yet," I was surprised when something seized my hand. I turned towards the one known as Brock. I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Hi, Brock."

"So you're interested in pokemon breeding? Well so am I! We should go on a date and talk about it sometime!" he said quickly.

I smiled, "Still not interested," The red haired girl stomped up to him, captured his ear, and jerked Brock away from me. I giggled, "So who're you?"

The girl smiled at me, "I'm Misty Kasumi. I'm the Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym," She stated proudly, "I stay with an all out offense of water-type pokemon." She must have been around fifteen. Misty had medium length, bright red hair; a ponytail protruded from the side of her cranium. Bright green eyes gazed back at me. Her skin was tanned, slightly. She wore a sleeveless, bright yellow shirt that exposed her stomach, and blue denim shorts with brown straps, similar to overalls. Red and white sneakers covered her feet. Honestly, I could believe that she was related to Daisy. Red is a mutation of blonde, and they had the same color irises. That led to question of the other two. _They have got to be half-sisters or something. There is no-way that all four of them are related. _But that was a question for another day.

"Hey Bella," Ash began, "what kind of pokemon do you have? You said you have a Charmeleon and Nidorina."

"Yup," I nodded, "I also have a Growlithe and a Pikachu," I grinned proudly, "I've also got three badges." I opened the case the flashed the Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, and Thunder Badge proudly.

"Same," Ash showed me his case. "I have a Pikachu, a Butterfree, a Pidgeotto, a Charmander, a Bulbasaur, and a Squirtle. I caught a Krabby a few days ago, but that's with Professor Oak."

I glanced down at my egg. _I wonder what it'll be. _I thought. "Aren't you guys just the happiest little couple?" a familiar voice said. Ash and I turned to it, and our faces fell immediately. Gary Oak was standing nearby, grinning at us with his cheerleaders fawning over him like he was a king or something.

"Hi, Oak." I muttered.

"_Gary_." Ash spat his name as if it were an obscenity.

"So your Charmander _finally _evolved, huh?" Gary asked in his usual, pompous voice. I nodded. He shoved past Ash and stopped in front of me. The fourteen-year-old looked me in the eye, and remained like that. I did the same.

Finally I spoke, "What're you looking at?"

"Noth'in," The brunette muttered. He shoved past me and stepped onto the arena. "Who wants to challenge me?"

The Gentleman grinned, "I will." He recalled his now healed Raticate.

Gary called on his Wartortle, "Use Rapid Spin!" The blue turtle pulled into its shell and rapidly flew at the Raticate. It slammed into the brown normal-type and knocked it across the arena. I paid close attention to the battle as it began to unfold before my very eyes. Wartortle was an excellent pokemon, no doubt about that. And I noticed how Gary moved when he commanded his pokemon. Dramatically, yet elegant. I noticed how the lights lit up his positive facial features. In fact, Gary was a good looking young teen. He would grow to become a handsome man when he reached adulthood one day. He was slim, and obviously cared about his health and weight. His hair was a beautiful shade of brown, and his eyes were different. I had never seen anyone with black irises like him; they were not like coal. Instead, they were like the deep night sky when the clouds did not cover it. The light created small glimmering stars in his eyes.

"Finish it off with Water Gun," Gary said. Wartortle did as commanded, and Raticate was defeated once again. He descended the stairs as he recalled his starter, "And _that's _how it's done, Ashy-boy."

_Too bad he has a crappy personality. _I thought with a small sigh. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Gary was staring at me. I blushed, "What're you looking at, Oak?"

"Noth'in," He repeated and quickly jerked his eyes away from. I went and sat down at one of the many tables. Brock, Misty, Ash, and Gary followed. Gary and Ash were having one of their usual arguments while Brock and Misty ate. I merely sipped some water. I did not usually eat a lot; it was a habit I picked up in sixth grade. I caught myself staring at Gary again. He was a very witty and intelligent boy; he kept his cool, and thought of insults that left Ash speechless. His famous smirk was so cute; I could not help but smile or become frustrated when I saw it. "Enjoying the view?"

I jerked myself from my thoughts and met Gary's gaze. My eyes closed and I looked away, "No! I was just thinking and happened to be looking your way."

"Right. Whatever," Gary chuckled, "We all know that you dig me."

My eyes narrowed dangerously and a hot blush crept onto my face, "What!? I do _not _like you that way, Oak!"

"Why so defensive?" the brunette asked with his famous smirk, "Every girl in her right mind would adore me." He was lazily leaning against the table, standing.

"You're so conceited," I hissed, "and pretty stupid, too."

"That's what _you _say, Bells." Gary said pointedly.

I sighed in frustration, stood, and walked away from the table. To my dismay, Gary decided to follow me, "Go away." I stated firmly.

"C'mon! Admit it! I know you got a huge crush on me!" the brunette said as he followed me through the lobby.

"No I don't." I said, determined to escape the prying annoyance.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes. You. Do."

"No. I. Don't."

"Admit it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"C'mon!"

I turned to him, my face red from both embarrassment and anger, "GO AWAY!"

"Good afternoon, children!" a male voice said. Both of us turned to the owner. It was a man with short, slicked back black hair and tanned skin. He wore a baggy white shirt, black pants, and sandals. A white headband was tied around his forehead. Before him sat a large tank full of orange fish, "Might you two be interested in buying a Magikarp?"

"Uh…no, not really." I said in an irritated tone.

"Ew no!" Gary replied, "Why would I want such a useless pokemon?"

The salesman smiled, "Because, they are very special pokemon! They are very valuable, and can be sold for thousands and thousands of dollars! And they lay thousands upon thousands of eggs, so you'll be rich in no time with just one or two Magikarp!"

Both Gary and I replied simultaneously, "How stupid do you think we are?" The man remained silent.

"I'll throw in a Magikarp care set for three-hundred, although I normally charge a hundred…" he continued.

"That's bogus." I muttered.

"And a golden pokeball…" the merchant continued.

"You painted that." Gary muttered. He sighed and sat down in a chair, looking extremely let down.

I turned away from the salesmen and Gary, and tried to go to my room. That plan came to abrupt halt when the doors slammed shut. I back away from them, "Huh? What's going on?"

All of the waiters and waitresses grinned and stripped off their uniforms, revealing the dark uniforms of Team Rocket hidden beneath. Gary's eyes narrowed, "Team Rocket!"

I noticed one green-haired member in particular. I quickly pointed him out, "It's Hutch!"

The twenty-three-year-old turned and glared at me fiercely, "The name's _Butch_! Not Hutch!"

"Whatever, Biff." I muttered. _As I if I care! _

"IT'S BUTCH!!!" he yelled in his gravelly voice.

"What's going on?" Gary demanded.

One of the Team Rocket grunts jumped onto a table and grinned, "We're taking all of your pokemon! So hand 'em over!" The trainers on the ship were outraged, and began shouting obscenities that should not be repeated at the mafia group. Some of the members slipped on backpacks that would suck up all pokeballs that were close enough. Others carried bags around and demanded for the pokemon.

One member stomped up to me, "Give me 'yer pokemon, and that egg, too."

"No way!" I spat. I grabbed Charmeleon's pokeball and prepared to call on him.

Gary summoned his Wartortle, "Water Gun!" Cool liquid knocked the grunt backwards and he slammed into a nearby table.

I called out Charmeleon, who growled threateningly at all of the Team Rockets that approached. They stared at him fearfully, and backed away when Wartortle and Gary jumped into the picture. Soon, Rocket members called on their own pokemon, and a battle broke out on the ship. All trainers that owned a Squirtle or Wartortle banded together and began washing the Rockets away with powerful water attacks. All trainers who possessed a Bulbasaur or Ivysaur banded together and used Vine Whip to injure Rockets and their pokemon. I aided the trainers with a Charmander or Charmeleon in using powerful fire attacks to scare them off. I even called on Pikachu so that he could help his fellow species in electrocuting a quite a few of them. Ash called on his Pidgeotto to help the other foul in attacking. The came the Butterfree. He called on his, only it was a Raticate instead.

I looked at him, "What happened to your Butterfree?"

"I traded it." he grumbled, looking somewhat unhappy. He recalled Raticate and zoned out of the battle. Hordes of Butterfree unleashed a Stun Spore attack on the Rockets. Before long, all of them were lying unconscious on the floor in a disheveled heap. Everyone, including me, cheered victoriously. But our relief did not last for long. Suddenly, the boat began to rock back and forth unsteadily. All of the passengers began asking more and more questions.

The captain entered the room, "The ship is about to capsize! Please, head for the lifeboats!" In a panic, all of the trainers recalled their pokemon and began herding out of the door.

I noticed that one girl dropped a pokeball on the floor. "Hey!" I called. She looked at me, "You dropped a pokemon!"

She was still moving as she called back, "Who cares? I'm getting but outta here!" She ran out of the door. I glared fiercely at her as I recalled Charmeleon and Pikachu. My legs carried me towards the abandoned pokemon and reached for it, only to have the boat rock and send it rolling down a corridor. I ran after it.

"Bella!" Gary's voice called. He ran after me down the hallway, "Forget it and come on!"

"No! Not until I catch this pokemon!" I called back as I crouched down and grabbed the red and white ball. I claimed it, and rose to my feet victoriously. "Got it!"

"Good now let's go!" Gary urged. Without warning, the boat lurched to the side sharply. It sent Gary and I flying into a random room. I smacked my head against the wall and fell to the floor. The room was spinning, and things did not improve when Gary slammed into me. His weight knocked the wind out of me, and I gasped for air. Block spots tore at my vision, and all I could remember was falling to the floor with something else lying across my stomach. Then, darkness devoured my mind…

**Cliffy! Yes, I realize that Gary was not trapped on the St. Anne. But I liked this episode and the ones that followed that, so I decided to have both of them get trapped on the ship with Ash and Team Rocket. Please review and the next chappie will be up soon…**


	11. Chapter 11

**And the next chappie is up. And thank-you for reviewing, ****Wolfy Pup****, ****, and ****GwangFei****. Her new pokemon will be revealed eventually. And the reason why Bella is nervous about going to fight the Saffron City Gym Leader will be revealed eventually, too. I'm also having my character and Gary follow these two episodes because I happened to like those in particular (I used to have the tape with them on it and watched them all the time when I was little). **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 10: Gyarados**

"_I believe in Christianity as I believe_

_That the sun has risen_: _not only because I see it_,

_But because by it I see everything else_."

-C.S. Lewis

_The cool air created by an air-conditioner surrounded me. Scientists in crisp white lab coats busily walked by from computer to computer. Each screen had a different image. One was of four heartbeats. The other revolved around four brain-wave functions. My small hand was being held by a larger one; I looked up and found it to be the hand of my father. He was younger than the last time I laid eyes on him. Short, brown hair that was not streaked with grey; I could see flecks of grey, though. His face lacked any wrinkle, and the bags that used to haunt his expression were non-existent. He was dressed in a strange black uniform. It took me a second to realize what he was wearing. _

_My father wore a black, sleeveless shirt with a bright red 'R' on the front. A long-sleeved white shirt was underneath. He wore gray gloves, and a gray belt that had three pokeballs on it. Black pants covered his legs, along with gray boots. My father was an elite member of Team Rocket. _

"_Bella," his voice scared me. He looked down at me and smiled softly, "Bella, I need you to go talk to him again." _

"_The scary man?" I replied without thinking. It was as if my mouth had moved on its own. _

_He shook his head, and I instantly felt relieved for some reason, "No. I want you to go talk to your friends." _

_I seemed to realize who he spoke of, and nodded my head in agreement. My father led me towards a set of five tanks that were filled with dark orange liquid. Inside one tank was a glowing ball of light. The next tank held a sleeping Squirtle, but it was different from any other; dark blue strips decorated its head. A sleeping Bulbasaur was in the next; it had dark green strips. A sleeping Charmander floated without care; it had dark red strips. Then there was the last. A strange, never-before-seen pokemon lived inside of it. It was curled in a tiny ball, sleeping the days away. Or that's how it appeared. I could feel my mind shake and wriggle around as it slowly began to shove my will outwards. Mentally, I could actually feel my mind enter the strange pokemon…_

_Bella…_

_Bella!_

_Someone…is calling for me? _

_Bella!_

_Who is it?_

"Isabella Vanielle!"

My torso shot up instantly. I was prepared to rage at whoever dared to call me by that name, but I was cut short when my forehead collided with something. Pain shot through my cranium; I gripped my sore noggin and cried out in both shock and pain. The same voice that had been calling for me seemed to have been doing the same. I opened my eyes and jerked my head towards the one who uttered the 'I' word, "What'd you say!?"

It was Gary Oak. He was sitting beside me, cradling his throbbing forehead. He glared at me fiercely, "I said wake-up, stupid!"

"You have no right to use my first name!" I hissed. No-one but Professor Oak and my mother had the right to say that name. If they did, then they would end up on my bad side immediately. That name was an obscenity if Professor Oak and mother did not say it.

Gary stared at me, and then turned away, "Whatever." He stood up and held his hand out. I reluctantly took and allowed him to pull me to my feet.

I glanced around. We were in a bedroom, and we were not alone. Brock and Misty were there, too. "Where are we?"

"Uh…" Brock groaned hesitantly. Misty looked just as nervous as he did.

"Just look outside the window." The red-head muttered. I stared at her for a second before following through and going to the window. If it were possible, then my jaw would have hit the floor. We were surrounded by water, with fish idly swimming by.

"What!? How'd we…?" I began.

"The ship sank," Gary replied "but we wouldn't be on it if you didn't insist on grabbing that damn pokeball! If that trainer wants abandon it, then let her!"

"No way!" I shot back, "I won't just leave a pokemon to die on a sunken ship! That's cruel!"

He groaned in irritation, "You can be so stupid sometimes!"

"Your even worse, asshole!" I spat.

Brock stepped between us, "Alright guys, that's enough! Arguing won't help us, now will it?"

I sighed in frustration and took a moment to cool down. That's when I noticed something. I looked at Brock and Misty, "Why're you two here?"

"Well, it's kinda a long story, but…Ash traded his Butterfree for that one guy's Raticate. But he had second thoughts, so he wanted it back. The ship was sinking when they traded, and then he dropped Butterfree's pokeball. We followed it, the ship moved, and all three of us fell in here. We fainted from hitting our heads and now here we are." Misty explained.

"Um…okay, but where's Ash?" I asked.

Gary grinned and pointed upwards. I followed his finger until I found what he had been gesturing to. The poor raven-haired boy was hanging upside-down from a couch cushion. His Pikachu was standing on the floor under him, looking worried. I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Figures Ash would get stuck in an odd position. Wait a minute. That couch is on the ceiling. _I looked around. The entire room was upside-down. I shrugged and continued what I was doing. I reached upwards and closed Ash's nose with my fingers. I stood like that, just holding his nose shut. He began to shake as he tried to remove my fingers. Finally, he opened his eyes and jerked away.

He gasped for air and glared at me, "What're you doing that for!?"

"To wake you." I said flatly.

He glared at me fiercely and shook his fist, "That's annoying! I…huh?" He looked at me funny, "Why're you upside-down?"

"You're the on that's upside-down." Misty replied.

"No I'm NOT!!!" he screamed the last part, seeing as his jacket gave way and he fell. I moved before he could fall on me; his Pikachu was not so lucky. It groaned in pain due to his weight. He groaned and looked up at us, "Can someone tell me what in the world happened?"

"The ship sank." Gary repeated.

"WHAT!?" Ash leapt up and ran to the window. His jaw shook when he saw it.

I sighed and shook my head. _Great. Now I get to die on my very first cruise. JUST GREAT! And haven't even seen Mew or Lugia, or gotten married and had kids. I haven't even got all eight badges! And now I'll disappoint Surge and Daisy and all of the Gym Leaders who wanted to see me in the Indigo League. And I'll never be able to see my mother and sister again…and I'll never be able to tell my father how much…how much…_I broke away from my thoughts when I noticed something. I turned towards where I had been laying. To my relief, they were on the floor. I ran over to the abandoned pokeball and my egg and scooped them both into my arms. I shrank the pokeball and placed it on my belt. _If she doesn't want it, then I'll take it. _I thought as I turned to the others. _I wonder when it'll hatch. _I thought as I gazed down at my egg.

Ash turned to us, looking crestfallen, "So…what'll we do?"

"Well, we should probably concoct a plan to escape." Brock suggested. He turned away and began walking down the hallway. Misty, Gary, Ash, Pikachu, and I all followed him.

"And how do we do that?" I asked.

Misty stopped, "Maybe we should take a look around?" She suggested. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. So there I was, walking around in the corridors of a sunken cruise liner with two Gym Leaders, two of my childhood companions, and a Pikachu. I wondered how my mother and sister would react to hearing about my experiences as a pokemon trainer. I also wondered if I would even survive the situation. Whether I would die here or not. I will admit that I was afraid; but I had to stay strong and face whatever lay ahead on the road of life.

Eventually we came to a set of upside-down stairs. Water filled the area, so if we wanted to see what was below, then we would have to dive down. Too bad I was a terrible swimmer. "What now?" Gary asked in an irritated tone.

Ash glared at him and then looked at Brock, "Can we leave him here?"

"No," Misty hissed, "and I have no idea what we're gonna do."

The raven haired boy sighed and changed to a thoughtful expression. After a second, Brock broke the silence, "Well, we should go up to the deck. But the since the ships flipped upside-down…"

"Then we'll have to dive down to the deck!" Ash snapped his fingers.

"But if we dive down to the deck and come across a dead-end, then we're done." The tanned boy reminded him.

Ash's face contorted in horror, "Then how'll we know where we're supposed to go?"

Gary's eyebrow twitched, "There is no friggin way that I'm dying in a place like this!"

"Will you two calm down?" Misty hissed. She smiled and pulled out a pokeball, "Waters my specialty," She tapped the ball, allowing an ivory light to jump into the water. It mutated into a Goldeen. "Goldeen, go look for a way out. If you find something, then bring something from the outside." The red and white fish nodded and dove under the water.

I sighed and sat down. _Nothing to do but wait I guess. _Gary sat beside me and grinned, "Guess now would be a good time to admit your undying love for me."

I groaned in irritation, "You're impossible!"

"Impossible to win? I know." He chuckled at his own bad joke.

I shoved him away, "Get a life, Oak! A life that doesn't involve _me_!" I stood up and stomped away. I stopped beside Ash and began fuming. _He is the most annoying arrogant prick I have ever had the displeasure of meeting! _Now I wanted to leave the brat in the cruise. Unfortunately, I knew that Misty and Brock would not let me. All six of us sat in the boat, waiting for Goldeen to return. It felt like an eternity before bubbles began to stir in the water. We waited impatiently for the red and white fish to rise to the surface. To our extreme surprise, a face wearing a dead expression rose from the liquid. It took us a second to register its presence; all six of us leapt back and screamed in horror at the sight. The head rose, revealing a body, along with two more bodies that were thrown onto the floor before us. Goldeen soon followed; it looked up at us expectantly.

"Team Rocket!" Brock announced.

I gawked at them, "Are t-they dead?"

I received my answer when water spurt from their mouths. They seemed to have been starring off into space when the girl groaned, "P-prepare…prepare for trouble…"

The man whimpered another line, "And y-yes…m-make that doubl-le…" Their eyes focused, and they seemed to realize who we were. The trio of Team Rockets jumped to their feet and glared at us. The girl appeared to be around twenty-five. She had long, dark purple hair that nearly reached the backs of her knees; her bangs were slicked back. She had sharp, dark blue eyes and pale skin; mascara and red lipstick decorated her face. She wore bright green earrings, too. A medium-sleeved, white shirt that was cut so that her stomach was exposed covered part of her torso; she wore a black undershirt that was cut so that her stomach was exposed, too. A bright red 'R' was on the front of the white shirt. Black gloves covered a majority of her arms. A white miniskirt covered her pelvis area, and black boots acted as her footwear.

The man appeared to be around the same age. He had medium length blue hair, and sharp yet less powerful bright green irises. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with a bright red 'R' on the front; the bottom was cut so that the lower part of his stomach would have been exposed, however it was covered by a black undershirt. Black gloves protected his hands. He wore a black belt, and white pants and with black boots. There was a small Meowth standing with them, but it was standing on its hind legs.

"We've got you brats cornered!" the purple-haired woman smirked evilly.

Brock pulled out one of his pokeballs, "So you followed all the way to the bottom of the see?" He called on his Geodude.

In response, the woman summoned an Ekans and the male called on an odd pokemon of his own. _Koffing, a poison-type. They are a common sight in burned and abandoned buildings. _Koffing was a round, floating rock with eyes and a death-symbol on its body. Ash pulled out three pokeballs and called out his Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. I hesitated to call on Growlithe and Pikachu. _Do they know each other? This looks like a sequel to a movie I've missed. _Gary joined the fray and called on his Wartortle.

"Alright, a match!" Ash stated eagerly. The drama of the scene ended abruptly when the boat tilted to the side, causing all of us and our pokemon to slam against the wall at the end of the hallway.

"Ow…" I groaned. I wrapped my arms protectively around my egg, knowing that danger was on the horizon.

Misty was pressed to the wall, "This ship'll fall if we don't do something quick!"

"What!?" Came Gary's muffled cry. I looked down and found Gary awkwardly lying against my stomach.

I could feel my legs shaking. Ash threw his fist into the air, "Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Geodude, Ekans, Koffing, Growlithe, Bell's Pikachu, and Wartortle, to the other side of the ship!" All pokemon's whose names had been called quickly scurried down the hall to the other side. Little good was that action. Misty, Brock, Gary, Ash, Ash's Pikachu, the two Rockets, and I all slid to the other side and slammed into our pokemon. Ash threw up his fist and gestured towards the other end, "TO THE OTHER SIDE! THE OTHER SIDE!" All of our pokemon obeyed the command, save Ash's Pikachu and the Rocket's Meowth, ran to the other end of the hallway. Once again, we found ourselves sliding rolling all the way after them. For a third time they moved.

"Geodude! Come back to this side!" Brock called. It hopped back to us, but its weight caused the pokemon to fall on top of us. This pattern continued with all of us sliding back and forth until finally the boat came to a stop. All of us pressed out backs to the wall while our pokemon stayed on the other end; Ash's Pikachu and the Meowth were in the center of the hallway. It felt odd having Gary almost pressed against me; the situation would have been humorous had it not been threatening to our lives.

"You guys, call back your pokemon!" Misty ordered.

"But Team Rocket will beat us if we call our pokemon back!" Ash stated.

"I'm not gonna lose to those guys!" Gary spat.

I shook my head, "We kinda have bigger problems here!" I gestured to the hall. Misty nodded her head in agreement. I went ahead and called back Growlithe and my Pikachu. Brock, Ash, and Gary all looked at each other and quickly recalled Geodude, Squirtle. Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Wartortle.

Misty glanced past me at Team Rocket, "Call your pokemon back, too! What's more important? A pokemon battle or your life?"

The woman quickly recalled her Ekans, "She's right. Good point." The blue-haired man followed suit and dismissed his Koffing. The boat steadied itself, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Misty and I stood up and dusted ourselves off. From what I could see, my egg was still in good condition. _That's a relief. _"Alright, we all agree that there won't be any battles," Misty said, "Let's work together."

The others disagreed. The two Team Rocket members, Gary, Ash, Brock, Meowth, and Pikachu were glaring at each other. I groaned, "Shake hands or I'll _make_ you!" The redhead sighed and shook hands with both Ash and Gary. The blue-haired man and Brock shook hands, and Pikachu and Meowth sealed the deal.

I looked at the Rocket members, "Who are you two, anyway?"

"James." The blue-haired man said in a whiny, heavily accented voice.

"Jessie." The redhead grumbled.

"Okay, we'll work together." Gary crossed his arms over his chest and glared fiercely at Ash, who returned the look.

I looked toward Misty, "So how'll we escape?"

Misty smiled proudly, "Leave it to me! I forgot to mention this, but I built my own St. Anne once," we all smiled hopefully; "It was model," hope died instantly, "That's how I learned all about the structure of the St. Anne. Since the deck is blocked, we have to cut a hole near the bottom of the ship, that's how we'll escape."

I pictured the diagram, and nodded my head lightly, "Well, the plan does have merit…but how'll we begin?"

Brock gestured towards the ceiling, "Up there! I noticed that staircase while we were sliding back and forth," He pulled out a pokeball and called out his Onix. "Onix, make a staircase!" It nodded and turned so that we could climb up its back. Misty, Brock, and Ash were the first ones up there. I carefully began making my way up, but my fear of heights caused me to freeze.

Gary groaned, "Come on, Bells! Get 'yer butt up there!"

"You know I'm afraid of heights!" He sighed and pressed his hand to my back. I jumped in surprise, but allowed him to coax me to the top. Jessie, James, Meowth, and Pikachu soon followed. It was odd walking on the ceiling. The lights were out, so soon our path was cloaked with darkness.

"I can't see anything." Brock grumbled.

"I'll handle it." Ash called out his Charmander; its tail lit our way.

I walked up to Misty, "Where does this hall lead to?"

"This corridor will take us straight to the engine room. That's our destination; with a little luck, we can burn or way through." She explained.

We came across a door and opened it, only to find the stairs broken and a raging fire beneath us. My stomach dropped to my feet. "We'll never make it to ther other side!" Gary cried.

James embraced his partner, "Jessica."

"Yes James?"

"Whoever said that beauty doesn't last, must've been talking about us." He whimpered.

"I'll always remember what a wonderful dresser you were!" Jessie sobbed.

"So will I!"

I felt like smacking them upside the head. Misty did it for me, "Will you two knock it off? There is still a way off this ship!"

Pikachu shocked Ash on his trainer's command, and then snapped his fingers in realization, "Good, that's just what I needed!" He called out Bulbasaur, "Use Vine Whip and hook them on the other side."

"Bulba!" the green dinosaur said as dark green whips flew to the other side, "Bulbasaur!"

"Great idea, Ash! We can cross the vines to the other side!" Misty exclaimed.

I stood there trembling, too scared to even consider moving. I heard an annoyed sigh behind me. Gary walked up to me and grabbed one of my pokeballs. He tapped it and called out Growlithe, "Carry Bells to the other side." The dog barked and knocked me over so that I was lying on his back. He then turned and ran on the vines, then leapt to the other side with Ash, Misty, and Brock. Pikachu soon followed. Gary was after the yellow rodent. James, Jessie, and Meowth hesitated, but they quickly followed us.

Once we were safe on the other side, Ash recalled Bulbasaur and replaced it with his Charmander. I knew what he was doing, so I called out Charmeleon. Now we had three fire-types on the playing field. "Okay guys, use your flames to weld through the bottom of the ship and make a hole." I said. Almost all of my trauma from the fire-room had dissipated. Misty pulled a rope of out of pack and began tying it around herself, Brock, and Pikachu.

"Now we'll use water pokemon to swim to the surface." She said.

I looked at her, "But I don't have any water pokemon!"

"Neither do we!" Jessie stated.

Gary called out his Wartortle and began tying a rope around both us, "We'll share." Suddenly, the part that our fire-types burned fell away. Water began to pour into the corridor. I recalled my Growlithe and Charmeleon, while Ash recalled his Charmander and then summoned his Squirtle. Misty called out her Goldeen, Staryu, and Starmie. Staryu looked like a golden star with a red gem in the center. Starmie was a purple star with more arms and a red gem in the center. Once every was tied up, our pokemon drug us into the pouring water. I took a deep breath before being devoured by the cool liquid. Gary wrapped one arm around my waist and the other grabbed the rope as Wartortle pulled us toward the surface.

Eventually, we arrived at the surface. I gasped for air; my body was sore and trembling. Wartortle swam towards a wooden raft, and Gary helped me climb on. He followed and dismissed his Wartortle. Ash, Misty, and Brock rose out of the water next. The swam to our raft and climbed on. Misty recalled her pokemon while Ash dismissed his Squirtle. We waited. Ash finally broke the silence, "Why hasn't Team Rocket surfaced?"

"Maybe they're still inside." Misty suggested.

Brock shook his head, "That doesn't matter now. We need to find dry land soon."

"But how?" Gary asked.

He placed his hand under his chin thoughtfully, "I remember the story of Noah, where he used a bird to find dry land."

Ash nodded in agreement, "Then we'll do the same thing as Noah!" He called out his Pidgeotto, "Go search for dry land. Bring back anything you find!" The bird nodded and flew off. It was nearly thirty minutes later when Pidgeotto returned with Team Rocket and placed them on the raft.

"They didn't make it…" I breathed. Their corpses were piled on, and were completely soaked.

"Not even Team Rocket deserved this." Ash mumbled.

"I guess we should give them a burial at sea, to show our respect." Brock suggested. All of us bent down and slowly shoved them towards the water. I felt nauseous when the idea that I was touching corpses entered my head. Our plan was hindered when James and Jessie leapt up, throwing Meowth into the water.

All of us jumped back screamed, "ZOMBIES!!!" At the same time.

James glared at us, "I am not a zombie!" Meowth struggled onto the raft and shook himself dry. All of us sat down on the raft and remained silent. There was very little to say, really. We were stranded on a boat without anything to eat. The only sound was the waves and annoying Magikarp that just flopped on the raft, repeatedly saying its name. Hours past by and soon night fell. My eyelids slowly closed, and before long I fell asleep…

It felt like two days had passed. My stomach growled at me for the hundredth time. Gary was lying on the raft staring at the sun like a starving zombie. Everyone else was staring hungrily at the Magikarp. I simply sat there, imaging cooked ribs with BBQ sauce on them. Suddenly, Meowth jumped up, "THAT'S IT! DINNER'S SERVED!" He tried to bite into Magikarp, but his fangs cracked as a result.

"You better not try that again," Misty said, "Its just made of scales and bones."

"UGH!" James roared, "This stupid pokemon is so useless! Why'd I even buy it!?" He walked up the orange fish and kicked it into the water, "I don't want to be your master!"

Magikarp splashed desperately in the water. _That's one nuisance out of the way. _I thought. My egg was still sitting in my arms. I turned my attention back to the creature when it began to glow a pure white. It slowly grew into a giant, bright blue serpent with yellow scales and stomach. Its mouth hang open, revealing sharp teeth. Sharp, angry crimson eyes glared at us. I jumped back and clutched my egg fearfully. I quickly checked my pokédex for its information. _Gyarados, a water-type. It has a vicious temper, and is known for destruction. They usually live in large bodies of water. _

"WHAT IS THAT!?" James screamed in fear.

"Now it's a Gyarados, you idiot!" Misty cried.

James calmed and smirked at his pokemon, "I'm James, your master. Obey me." It roared in displeasure at him. James screamed in fear and hid behind Jessie.

I slapped my palm to my forehead, "Oh yeah! That's _real _manly, James! Show some backbone." I looked back up at the creature in fear.

Misty called out Goldeen, Staryu, and Starmie. She tied ropes around them and then to the raft. "What's your strategy?" Gary asked.

"My strategy is…" she paused, "RUN AWAY!!!"

"I'm game!" I said. The pokemon began dragging out raft away, with all of us helping them with random sticks and poles and even our hands. Gyarados began chasing us, roaring the entire time. "FASTER! FASTER!" We all cried. Without warning, the blue dragon ceased in its chase. It began roaring at the sky in anger.

"What's doing?" Ash asked.

"It just evolved, so maybe its tired out." Brock suggested.

Misty shook her head, "What if…what the stories are true? Sailors tell terrible tales of the Gyarados…it maybe Dragon Rage!"

"Are you serious!?" Gary cried. Just as he asked that, hordes of Gyarados appeared. They began to spin until water cyclone appeared. All of us screamed in fear as they began to approach us. "We gotta run!"

"But no-ones ever escaped Dragon Rage." Misty countered. The cyclone converged on us, and the powerful winds shattered our raft and lifted us into the air. I could remember screaming as I spun in circles. Then, a pair of arms wrapped around me, and soon…I fainted…

**Another cliffy. Please review and the next chapter will be up soon…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank-you for all of your wonderful reviews, ****Permanently Scarred****, ****Wolfy Pup****, ****Lilac****, ****shadow-dog18****, ****XxRainbow-DarknessxX****, ****kankananime123****, and ****GwangFei****. This chapter follows one more episode, and then Bella will be separating from Ash and his friends for a while. This chapter focuses more on Gary and Bella then anything else, though. And the story behind all of Bella's strange dreams will be revealed, too. I think this chapter will be a dead giveaway of what is to come in future chapters, though. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 11: Stranded **

"_For it was not into my ear you whispered_,

_But into my heart_.

_It was not my lips you kissed_,

_But my soul_."

-Judy Garland

_It was like diving into the deep dephs of the sea. My eyes opened, and I found myself hovering in the darkness. A little girl was hovering in front of me. She was probably around six, only two years younger than myself. She wore a long-sleeved, white nightgown and socks. Thick, medium length hair covered her head. Her appeared to be a bluish color, which matched her eyes. Beside her hovered the odd looking, yet awake, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. I turned to the one that hovered beside me. _

_It looked so much like the friend that I had lost when I was younger. Yet so different at the same time. It was the same size as a six-year-old human child, and had childish features, revealing its true age. Only it had the features of a pokemon, too. Its body was a pale lavender, almost completely white. It had curious dark purple irises; two horns jutted out of its skull. Its stomach was a dark purple, as was its long tail. It had three fingers on its human-like hands, and three twos on its feet. It has human features, but most of its physical traits were cat-like._

_The purple pokemon looked at me and smiled, "Hi, Bella." _

_I smiled back, without even knowing why, "Hey, …" the name was lost to me. Instead, I heard someone shout my own name._

"_Bella?" _

_Is someone calling me? _

"Bella!"

My eyes fluttered open. It took a second for the blur to vanish, allowing Gary to appear before me. "Gary?" I asked groggily.

He smiled, "Bells! Your OK!"

"Eh…your too loud," I groaned as I sat up. "And of course I'm OK," _What was that strange dream? Who was that strange pokemon? It almost looked like…like a Mew. And…who was the little girl? Do I know her? Its all so familiar…yet so distant…ugh…my head. _I stroked my temples. I looked around. We appeared to be on a beach, wish a deep jungle behind us. "Where are we?"

"We're on an island." Gary said as if it were obvious.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, but how'd we…" memories from before entered my mind. I looked around frantically. Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, James, Jessie, and Meowth were nowhere in sight. Neither was my egg. "MY EGG!!!" I shrieked. "IT'S GONE!!!" I almost felt like crying, but my will fought against the tears. I ran my hands through my hair. I was almost at the point of hysterics; my motherly instincts were beating me senseless for allowing an innocent, unhatched baby to just disappear.

Gary sighed as he rose to his feet, "Sorry, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"What do you mean!?" I jumped to my feet, "We have to go look for it!" I reached towards my belt, but I noticed that three of my pokeballs were missing. I checked all of the ones I could. Charmeleon and Nidorina were still there. Pikachu, Growlithe, and the new pokemon were gone. "I LOST SOME OF MY POKEMON!!!" I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. Guilt captured my heart. For leaving them behind. For being a lousy trainer losing them.

Gary stomped up to me and grabbed my shirt, shaking me, "Calm down, Bella! Get a hold of yourself!"

My hand flew up and struck him across the face. Gary stood there, wide-eyed. I snarled, "Get away from me! I need to look for my friends, got it!?" I turned away and sprinted towards the woods…

**Bella's Pikachu's POV:**

My head hurt something fierce. I opened my eyes and sat up; a large forest surrounded me. I stood up on my small feet and began walking around on all fours. _Where am I? Where's Bella? _"Bella!" I called, "Bella!" Everything was either grey, black or white.

"Hey!" a familiar voice called. I turned to the other. Another Pikachu leapt from the trees. It stopped in front of me. I sniffed at it, realizing that it was that boy's pokemon. "Are you OK?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah…but, where's Bella?"

"I don't know," he shook his head and then gestured to a spot behind me, "Are those her pokemon? They smell like her."

I turned and found my trainer's pokeballs on the ground. I scampered up to them and sniffed them. They carried the familiar scent of Growlithe and then that new, unfamiliar scent. I tapped the familiar one and watched as Growlithe appeared. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes at me, "Where am I?" He groaned.

I shrugged, "Dunno."

He looked around, "And where's my human? Where'd she go?" He glared at me, "Did _you _do something to her?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, moron! Bella's my trainer, too. I'm just as lost as you." I then turned to the other pokeball. My tiny paw tapped it, allowing my trainer's new pokemon free.

It was a small, light brown furry creature; a cross between a fox and a cat. It had light brown fur, and adorable, large dark brown irises. Long ears protruded from its head. A white collar of fur surrounded its neck. Its bushy tail was tipped with white. From its smell, it seemed to have been female. The little brown pokemon looked at me curiously, "Who're you?" she asked.

"Pikachu," I replied, "You?"

"Eevee," The little brown pokemon replied. She looked around, "Where's Amy?"

"Who?" Growlithe asked.

"My trainer." Eevee replied.

I looked away. It was hard to admit this, "I heard Bella say that she abandoned you on that giant ship we were on."

Eevee growled at me, "Amy would never betray me!"

"Then why are you here?" Growlithe asked. The normal-type fell silent.

"Now come on guys!" Pikachu said, "We're all lost here. So let's work together to find out trainers!" The bushes rustled, and soon that boy's Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur appeared. "Did you guys find anything?"

Charmander shook his head, "No."

Growlithe stuck his nose upwards towards the air, "I smell salt. The ocean's close! Follow me." He took off running in a random direction.

"Wait up!" I called. Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Eevee all gave chase. We eventually wound up on a beach. Growlithe was waiting for us, sniffing the air. I looked around. Not a single human was in sight. "What now?"

Pikachu gestured towards a rock, "Over there!" I turned towards the rock. There was a Slowpoke sitting on it. Pikachu, Charmander, and I all walked up to it. "Hey." I called in a friendly manner.

"Hello." Pikachu said.

"Could you tell us where we are?" Charmander asked.

There was no response. I blinked, "Uh…hello?"

"Can't you hear us?" Charmander asked.

Pikachu decided to try a different approach, "Where are we?"

"Can you help us out?" the fire lizard asked. I folded my paws over my chest. _I don't think he's going to say anything anytime soon. _Almost immediately, the pink pokemon stood up. It backed up and dipped its tail into the water. Then it sat down and prepared for a nap.

My jaw dropped. _Well, that was completely and utterly useless! _I shook my head and joined Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Eevee as they lounged in the shade. Growlithe was sniffing the air frantically for our trainer…

**Bella's POV: **

The tears continued to fall as I weaved through the trees, slipping and fall through bushes filled with thorns. After everything that we had been through, I was not prepared to abandon them. I would find my pokemon no matter what. _I won't leave until I do! _I thought angrily as I stomped through the forest. I noticed that not a single wild pokemon had appeared, nor any humans. It was odd, but I enjoyed the quiet. I enjoyed having some time by myself. I stopped when the ground began to shake. I turned towards the source, which was behind me. My jaw dropped and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. It was a giant Charizard. It glared down at me and roared. I screamed "SHAT!!!" Turned, and sprinted away as flames nearly hit me.

My arms were flailing above my head as I fled the giant pokemon, which was almost as tall as a skyscraper. _First my ship sinks, then I get stuck under water, then I'm stranded on a raft with Gary, and now I'm stuck on a freakin island with a giant, man-eating Charizard!!! _"I'M NEVER GOING ON ANOTHER CRUISE AGAIN!!!" I screamed as I sprinted away from the fire breathing dragon that was five times it original size…

**Gary's POV: **

I groaned and stomped my foot. To my dismay, I had passed the same tree from before for the third time already. "Dangit! Is there any place with people around here!?" I shouted. It had been nearly three hours since Bella ran away, and I had not seen any hint of her or her wretched pokemon since. _Good riddance. _I thought as I made my way through the forest. I stomped when the ground began to shake. I looked up, and jumped when I saw it. It was a giant Blastoise, nearly five times its original size. It glared down at me. _Uh…I have a Wartortle, so maybe it'll listen to me. _

"Uh…hi?" I said awkwardly, "How 'ya doing? Have you…have you seen a stupid looking blonde recently?" It aimed its guns at me. I shrieked in fear and sprinted away as fast as I possible could. "NEVERMIND!!!" A powerful current of water was blasted at me…

**Bella's POV: **

I managed to escape the giant Charizard, and before long it was sunset. But I had not yet seen a hint of anyone. It hurt, knowing that I had failed them. The tears had dried, and I found myself walking in a blind stupor. I could imagine my mother's face when I told her that I lost my pokemon. She would be furious, and even worse: disappointed. I trudged deeper and deeper into the woods, not entirely sure where I was going. I stopped when a strange, loud sound attacked my eardrums. I looked up. _You've got to be kidding. _There was a giant, spiked yellow bird flying at me. Electricity shot from its wings. I immediately turned and began sprinting in a different direction as it flew at me.

_I've gotta get away from here!!! _I thought as I fled from the irate foul. Without warning, my ankle twisted in an odd way and the ground disappeared. Gravity jerked me downwards, causing me to fall in that direction. My stomach leapt into my skull, and I remembered hearing a scream echo off of the trees…

My head throbbed with pain. I groaned and pressed my hands to my cranium, wishing that I had some Tylenol. I opened my eyes and fought past the blur. It was dark. I could hear the crickets as they sang. A crackling fire was in the background. I sat up and looked around. Gary was sitting nearby, staring into the flames. I remained silent, unable to think of anything to say. "Are you OK?" It was like hearing a stranger. There was a kindness to Gary's voice that I had not heard since we were little. He looked at me, and unexplained emotion in his black irises.

I nodded, "Uh-huh…yeah…I'm fine," I replied sheepishly. I did not look at him as I continued, "Sorry…I slapped you…it was uncalled for." I had been feeling guilty for that for several hours.

Gary sighed, "Hey," he continued to stare at me, "I know that you…your looking for your pokemon…and I'm sorry for being so insensitive…but, its just," he groaned, "It's hard for me to say this…but…"

I held up my hand, "No need to preach to me, Oak," I said, "I know." He fell silent. We simply sat there, starring into the fire. The song of the crickets filled my senses. My body shivered; the temperature had dropped due to nightfall. I could feel my teeth chattering. I was about to call out Charmeleon, but a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I looked towards my left; Gary was sitting in the blanket with me, staring at the fire.

"What're you doing, Oak?" I asked.

"Warming you up. What good is a rivalry if you freeze to death?" he said.

I narrowed my eyes, "I would rather be roasted alive then share a blanket it with _you_!"

"Oh just shut it, Bella!" Gary spat, "I don't like this predicament anymore than you do."

Both of us fell silent once more. My eyes began to droop shut as sleep attempted to claim me; but I was jerked awake when Gary's elbow brushed my side. I giggled as a result. The brunette looked at me, grinning mischievously, "Still ticklish I see."

I blushed and shook my head, "No. I'm not," I felt his fingers brush my side, and I giggled again. "Stop it, Oak!" His fingers dug into my stomach, and began to tickle me without mercy. I began laughing, while desperately trying to shove Gary away. He continued to grin like a madman as he tickled me relentlessly. I fell over, and due to the blanket, accidentally drug the fourteen-year-old down with me. Gary used his elbows to keep from throwing all of his weight onto me. I opened my eyes, and felt very awkward. I think he did too, because the boy was blushing.

That was when everything hit me. The shock of all of the excitement, and life-threatening moments finally took its toll on me. I began to sob, and my arms wrapped around Gary's torso. He fell over onto his side, and hesitated before wrapping his arms around me. I did not care that it was Gary who was holding me; I wanted comfort. To allow all of my emotions to flow freely, and just cry for a few minutes. My sobs continued as I embraced Gary. They lasted for hours until I finally gave into exhaustion…

The morning arrived after an eternity of sleep. I awoke in Gary's arms, which was very awkward for the both us. Once we were both awake, we quietly packed our camp and began making our way through the woods again. It was a little more bearable having someone with me. Eventually we came across a long, rock bridge. We began crossing the bridge, but we stopped when we saw… "A giant Pikachu?" Gary asked.

I sighed, "Okay, now that's just plain weird."

"Gary! Bella!" a familiar voice cried. I looked in its general direction, and found Ash, Brock, and Misty standing across from us. They noticed the Pikachu and nearly jumped out of their skin.

"Pikachu!?" Misty exclaimed.

"Jumbo sized!" Brock added.

I glanced past the giant rodent when I noticed a cloud of dirt coming our way; and the ground was shaking, too. I squinted my eyes to see what it was. _Is that a giant…brown…pokemon? _A large, dark brown, bug-like pokemon was sliding towards us. Like it was being dragged by something. Suddenly, the bridge broke, and all of us tumbled to the ground below. All five of us landed in something hard and metal, and it was moving fast. I opened my eyes and looked around. We were riding on a set of track, and in some kind of metal cart that was used for mining. And, to my surprise, the Rockets Jessie and James were in the cart, too.

Jessie smiled evilly, "Now we've got you right where we want you."

"Hand over Pikachu!" James ordered. They paused, glanced behind them, and screamed in fright when they noticed that the giant Pikachu was being dragged by a cable, "But not that big one!"

"Ash, over there!" Misty gestured over yonder. My eyes followed her finger, and I found the giant Charizard and a giant Blastoise running at us. Below them were Ash's Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. My Pikachu, Growlithe, and a little brown pokemon were with them; to my relief, my egg was tied to my Pikachu's back. I also noticed Team Rocket's Ekans, Koffing, and Meowth.

"You guys!" I cried.

"Pikachu! Charmander! Squirtle! Bulbasaur!" Ash called.

Gary leaned over me, "Its our egg."

"They'll all be trampled if you don't do something!" the redheaded Gym Leader cried.

Ash turned to the Rockets, "Stop the car now!"

Jessie crossed her arms stubbornly, "We can't do that."

James held up a metal stick, "We can't stop; the breaks broken."

"Your kidding me." Ash and Gary groaned in unison.

"But we've gotta help them!" I said, determined to save my pokemon.

"Look ahead!" Misty called. I turned my head to the front, and felt my heart leapt to the back of my throat when I noticed a giant hill in the tracks. It was like a rollercoaster; which I had never ridden one before.

"Prepare for trouble." James whimpered.

"And make it double," Jessie looked like she was about to wet herself, "and I can't stand roller coasters!"

I gripped the sides of the cart as it rode upside-down on the tracks. I screamed, disliking the sensation of being upside-down and moving at such as fast speed. "STOP THE RIDE! STOP THE RIDE! I WANNA GO!!!" Jessie screamed, "WE'RE GONNA CRASH!!!"_ I. Am. Never. Riding. A. Rollercoaster. _I thought as we safely made it back to the ground. I trembled as I opened my eyes and looked towards my pokemon.

"Jump in!" Ash called.

Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur leapt into the cart one-by-one. They landed in Misty and Brock's arms. Growlithe and the little brown pokemon were next; Gary managed to catch them. Ekans and Koffing made it safely back to their masters. Last was Ash and me's Pikachus. Mine, with the egg on his back, landed in my arms. I took time to embrace all of my pokemon, "I've missed you guys so much!" I cried. I noticed that Meowth was the last pokemon to get on. And them, due to our bad luck, the other giant pokemon were added to the fray.

"M-maybe our luck'll hold out." Gary said hopefully.

"Well, based on our recent run of luck," James began, "I'm sure that the cable will snap."

"Right. About. Now." I heard Jessie mumble. Just as they predicted, the cable snapped.

"Then we'll probably get hurled into the air." James predicted. As soon as he said it, the cart was flung into the air. I gripped all of my pokemon protectively.

"Now we'll probably crash into someth'in." Meowth said. Ash, Brock, Misty, Gary and I all screamed as we crashed into a giant yellow bird. I opened my eyes, and to my surprise, it was mechanical and we flew right through it. The pokemon fell and crashed into the other giants.

"And finally." Jessie said.

"We hit the water." James finished. The cart began to dive the water that was below us. We all screamed as we fell towards the cool liquid.

"A VERY, VERY LONG DROP!!!" Meowth managed to say before we hit the water.

Ash recalled his Charmander and Bulbasaur, while his Squirtle aided him in swimming to the surface. Misty called on her Starmie, who helped her and Brock. I recalled Pikachu, Growlithe, and wrapped my arms around my new pokemon and my egg. Gary wrapped his arms around my waist and swam towards the surface. All of us managed to reach the shore after swimming for several minutes, and took a deep breath.

I squeezed my blonde hair for a few seconds, and then looked at my egg. It was not damaged. _That's a relief. _I thought. I then looked at my new pokemon. It was the most adorable pokemon I had ever seen. I quickly pulled out my pokédex. _Eevee, a normal-type. Its behavior is affected by its surroundings. They are very rare in the wild, and they can live almost anywhere. This one is female. _I held my hand out to her, and allowed her to sniff it. She hesitated, but the Eevee walked up to me and licked my hand. She smiled and leapt into my lap. I giggled and stroked her wet fur, "That's a good girl. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you." I embraced her, and then recalled her into her pokeball. I placed the kanji for 'fox' on it. I placed the pokeball on my belt, and then looked around.

Everyone else seemed to be relieved, because we were on a different island. Then, something began to shake in my lap. I looked down, and found that the egg was shaking. I gasped, "Its hatching!" The egg shook, and then turned white. It slowly morphed into my sixth pokemon. In my lap sat a small, light green creature. Its skin was light green, and a horn jutted from its forehead. A black strip decorated the bottom of its eyes; the irises were a dark, sharp, yet adorable, crimson. It had a small tail that resembled a fan, and deep brick-red stomach. There were random black spots on its small body. I pulled out my pokedex and researched the information. _Larvitar, a rock/ground type. They are usually quiet, and spend most of their time eating. They can be found in the mountains in the Johto region, mostly. This one is male. _

_A Johto region pokemon? But how'd he get here? _I Larvitar began stroking its head against me, smiling in delight. "Congrats, Bella." Ash said as he tried to pet my new pokemon. Larvitar gazed up at him in fear, and quickly used Harden.

I cradled the baby pokemon, "Its alright, Larvitar. Ash won't hurt you," I cooed. I stood up and craddled the baby in my arms, "Well, let's go look for a city." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, and we set off for a nearby city…

**End of this chapter. Please review and the next one will be up soon…**


	13. Chapter 13

**And now for the next chapter. Honestly, during the scene between Bella and Gary, I had the song 'You Never Know' stuck in my head. Look it up on YouTube; I thought it fit, a little. Oh, and just to point out the pattern, the title of the chapter that revolves around Bella's Gym battles usually has a relation to the type that the Gym Leader focuses on. Thus far I have had: Stone, Soaked, and Electrified; rock, water, and thunder. Let's see which Gym she will face next…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 12: Dancing Leaves **

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_and enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

It was hours before we reached a port. The city before us was gorgeous, and we did not waste anytime searching for the hotel. There we stayed the night. Gary and I were some of the first to awake. We went shopping in the city and bought new packs with extra provisions. I bought a white and blue backpack for Larvitar to ride in. Soon, we managed to catch a boat. It was not as big as the St. Anne, but it was still just as good. It took three days for the ship to reach Vermillion City. Once we were there, I said 'goodbye' to Gary, and the two of us went our separate ways. I stayed in the Pokemon Center in Vermillion for a while to call my mother. There, I told her all about my ride in the St. Anne. How Charmander evolved into Charmeleon while I fought Surge, and that I had three badges. I also told her of the island with giant pokemon, and how I received Larvitar and Eevee. She had been worried about me, but her fear quelled when I assured her that I was safe.

Once all was said and done, I left Vermillion and headed off to the next Gym: Celadon City. Due to the stations being closed, I was forced to go down Route Nine. Powerful trainers awaited me there. My pokemon all had a good workout while we were there. Charmeleon proved himself to be a deadly force to be reckoned with. Pikachu was stronger than any other Pikachu; other trainers commented that it was ready to be evolved into a Raichu via Thunder Stone. Nidorina defeated her opponents with ease. Growlithe was still a powerful pooch. Eevee was well-trained; she handled all of her opponents on a professional level. Larvitar did not fight; instead he traveled in my bag and ate whenever we stopped for a snack. Eventually we came across a Pokemon Center, and I stayed the night there.

Next was another cave. It was too dark to see, so Charmeleon used his tail to light the way for Larvitar and me. It took nearly five days to scale the cave, but eventually I arrived at the other end. To my extreme relief, a town was not far off. The next town was Lavender Town. I stayed the night in the Pokemon Center and headed off to Route Eight, where I was faced with powerful trainers. I fought each and every one of them, and eventually made it to a back road. The path lead me to Route Seven, where I eventually found the famous Celadon City.

Tall buildings made the city what it was. By that time, I was used to see skyscrapers and the like. Only this place was different from most cities. A beautiful, mouth-watering aroma attracted me to the different buildings. I visited the nearby Pokémart, which was a colossal building, and bought as many provisions as I needed. I even bought a Thunder Stone, a Fire Stone, and a Water Stone. The day to evolve Eevee and Pikachu was near, and I would need to decide what Eevee would become. I then went to the Pokemon Center and spent the night there. The next day, I decided to challenge the Gym Leader of Celadon City. On my way to the Gym, I noticed a few Team Rocket members. I pointed them out to the citizens, but they said that they were a common sight there. That bugged me.

I decided to ignore the situation for now. Instead, I chose to head to the Gym. Like the others, the type it focused on was a dead give away just by the building. The building resembled a giant, dark red flower with stairs and glass doors. I blinked. _I wanna meet the designer of these Gyms and see if it's the same person. But these places are just getting weird. _Of course, nothing could beat the horror of the Cerulean City Gym. I shivered at the thought of it. I quickly entered, and was assaulted by an assortment of delicious smells. The inside of the Gym was a greenhouse. I noticed a group of girls sitting in the center, watching in female in particular.

The young woman was probably in her late teens. She had deep green irises, short black hair, and a red-headband. Her skin was pale, too. She wore a yellow, baggy Japanese top that resembled a kimono top, and a baggy red, Japanese Priestess-style pants. Blue pokeballs decorated her shirt. White socks covered her feet, and black sandals acted as her footwear. She looked at me, obviously hearing the door, and rose to her feet, "Who are you?" She asked politely, "Are you for the class?"

I shook my head, "No. I'm here to get my Rainbow Badge," Larvitar jumped out of my bag and landed on the floor beside me. He looked around curiously. I hesitated, "And just what is this beautiful smell?"

The woman smiled, "That's Celadon City's famous perfume. We're renowned for a fine smelling perfume; in fact, crafting it is an art here. Would you like some?"

"Well," I said, "I don't usually wear perfume…but if you insist, then sure," The woman smiled at me and pulled a bottle out of her pocket. She walked up to me and handed the vial to me, "Thank-you." I said with a curt nod.

"No problem…so…you want a Rainbow Badge?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, if you must know, my name Erika Namikaze; I'm the Celadon City Gym Leader. And you are?"

"Bella Vanielle, from Pallet Town." I replied.

"You're the third person from Pallet I've fought," Erika mused, "The first one had an Ivysaur, while the second had a powerful Wartortle. I wonder what your starter is."

"A Charmeleon." I replied.

She sighed, "A fire-type…well, might as well get the battle over," The both of us moved to the back of the Gym, where the stadium was. The other girls eagerly awaited for the battle to start. Erika turned to me once she crossed the floor and pulled a pokeball out of her pocket, "May the best trainer win." She threw the ball, and it released her first pokemon. It looked like it was made of blue vines, with wide eyes hidden beneath them. It also had red feet. _Tangela, a grass-type. They can usually be found near the edge of grassy plains. _

I grabbed one of the pokeballs on my belt and called on Growlithe. The battle started with Tangela using a Vine Whip. Growlithe dodged the attack and unleashed a powerful Flamethrower. The flames engulfed Tangela, and knocked it immediately. _Wow. Grass-types really are weak against fire-types. _I thought as Erika recalled Tangela. I praised Growlithe and recalled him. Next she called out a pokemon that resembled a golden bulb with leaves for arms; it mouth constantly hung open, and it had wide eyes. _Weepinbell, a grass/poison type. It is the evolved form of Bellsprout. They use acid to melt its prey, then it eat it. Ew. They live mostly in forests. _I quickly called out Eevee.

"Quick Attack!" I called. Eevee's body began to glow pure white as she charged at Weepinbell.

"Acid!" Erika ordered. It spat black liquid, but my Eevee was too fast. She slammed into Weepinbell and knocked it over.

"Now, use Take Down!" the grass-type tried to get up, but Eevee rammed it to the floor with a force that no-one would have expected.

"Razor Leaf!" Sharp, green leaves shot from the grass type and sliced into the normal-type's fur.

I narrowed my eyes, "Use Last Resort!" Eevee's body slowly mutated into a glowing white creature, with sharp fangs and a fearsome appearance. It flew at Weepinbell and tore into it, knocking the creature out instantly. Eevee returned to normal and leapt into my arms. I embraced her and praised her before recalling her. Next was Charmeleon. He was eager to finish the battle. Her last pokemon was a blue pokemon with arms and legs. It looked depressed, was constantly drooling with closed eyes. A red flower sat on its head. _Gloom, a grass/poison type. It is the evolved form of Oddish. They usually live in grassy plains. _

"Use Dragon Rage," I ordered. Charmeleon transformed into an even more fearsome beast than he already was, The fire-type lunged at Gloom, but was stopped short when it released a Poison Powder attack. _Crap! _I thought. _I hope he can make it to the end of the fight. _"Try a Flamethrower." He did so, and the flames engulfed Gloom. It was beaten too quickly. I hugged my lizard, and praised him for a job well-done.

Erika smiled softly as she reached into her pocket and approached me, "Good job. It is obvious that you have trained your pokemon well. And so, I herby award you with the Rainbow Badge," She handed me a colorful flower; it had ever color of the rainbow on it. I smiled and accepted the badge. "Please, in the League, give it your all."

I nodded, "Will do. And good luck with the perfume." We shook hands, I recalled Charmeleon, and then left with Larvitar in my backpack. I dropped by the Pokemon Center and allowed Nurse Joy to heal my pokemon. While I was there, I ran into none other than Red, from Pallet Town.

"Red!" I waved to him and sat at the table he was at.

He smiled at me, "Hey, Bella. How've you been?"

"Fine. You?" I asked.

"Great." Another familiar person appeared: Gabrielle.

He sat at the table and smiled at me, "Hi, Bella."

"Hey, Gab," I said with a wide smile. I decided to ask the question that had been haunting me for some time, "Hey guys, why are there Team Rocket members here?"

Gabrielle sighed, "'Cause, like Saffron City, Team Rocket has taken over Celadon. Its rumored that there base is hidden underneath the Game Corner. All of the citizens at scared senseless of them."

"Really?" _How could anyone let them get away with it. Well, I won't stand for any of this crap. _I stood up and retrieved my pokemon from Nurse Joy, "See'ya."

"Where are you going?" Red asked.

"To kick Team Rocket's butt out of here." I stated.

Gabrielle leapt up, "But you can't! It's too dangerous!"

I sighed, "Listen. I'm tired of them always getting their way. I'm going to show those gangsters that life isn't always a walk through the park. See'ya." With that, I left the Pokemon Center…

**More cute moments between Gary and Bella are in the future. And more of Bella's past is about to be revealed. Erika has been the easiest Gym Leader thus far, but that's because of the element advantage that Bella had. Please review, and the next chappie will be up soon…**


	14. Chapter 14

**And now for the next chapter. I've been able to write a lot seeing as I've been sick the past few days. But I hope I get better because I'm tired of coughing fits. The most detailed part in this short chapter is the battle between (not saying who) and Bella. Anyway, here's the next chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 13: Defeated**

"_A poet, before anything else, is _

_A person who is passionately in love with words_."

-W.H. Auden

I made my way through the city until I found the Game Corner. It was a tall building, and was obviously a casino. I entered through the glass double doors; slot machines and people filled the room. I crossed the room, searching for anything suspicious. It was not long before I noticed a man dressed in a black Rocket uniform. I walked up to him. He noticed me immediately, "Halt! Who're you?"

"Feebee, the Amazing Bitch of Doom." I replied as I walked up to him and kicked him in the stomach. The man doubled over and tried to scream in pain, but his voice would not flow from his throat. I then grabbed a vital on his neck and held it until he passed out. I checked, and luckily, he was still alive. I began searching the wall for something out of the normal. I found a switch behind a poster, and quickly pressed it. A set of stairs appeared, and I quickly entered the Rocket hideout…

It was like a deep maze of a basement. I was sneaking around in the shadows with Larvitar in my backpack, searching for the head honcho. I made sure to avoid as many Rockets as humanly possible. But I was forced to battle some in the end. Charmeleon made quick work of them without setting off any alarm. I eventually came across a room with floors that sent me sliding back and forth. I began working the puzzle to the best of my ability until I made it to an elevator, which did not work. I ran up a set of stairs that I found and ended up fighting even more Rockets. I ran back down the stairs and fought my way through the slippery maze again. I ended up scaling different staircases, fighting different Rockets, until I came across a familiar pair.

Actually, they found me first. I realized they were there when this speech began:

"Prepare for trouble, you got that right!" he said dramatically.

"And make it double!" the woman said in the same tone.

"'Cause we're here for a fight!" the man added.

"To infect the world with devastation." The woman said.

"To blight all peoples within every nation!" the man added.

The woman spun around and changed her pose, "To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!" As did her male partner.

The girl smirked at me, "Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course." Her male companion said quickly.

They changed their poses into something even more strange, "We're Team Rocket, circling earth all day and night!" The woman, Cassidy, continued.

"Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight, fight, fight!" Butch finished. They both ended their overly dramatic introduction in a ridiculous pose. My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. _I know that scratchy voice. _

I turned to them. Sure enough, the green-haired chain smoker and Cassidy were standing behind me, "Bill and Cassidy." I grumbled.

The green-haired man glared at me, "ITS _BUTCH! _NOT BILL!"

"I could care less what your name is!" I spat, "Now get out of my way!"

"No way, kiddy," Cassidy grinned as she called on her Raticate. Butch called out his Primeape. I sighed and called out both Charmeleon and Pikachu. "Hyper Fang!"

"Seismic Toss!" Butch ordered.

"Thunder Shock! Flamethrower!" I called. My pokemon far more powerful then their own. The attack left their pokemon lying on the floor, unconscious. _When did Team Rocket become so weak? _I wondered. "Pikachu, shock 'em. But do kill them." The electric rodent nodded and released a powerful lightning bolt. Butch and Cassidy cried out in pain as they were electrocuted, but knocked unconscious as a result. It hurt to attack humans, but Team Rocket deserved it. Especially after what they did to Larvitar's mother.

I recalled my pokemon and then took off deeper into the HQ. I ran up another set of stairs and, once again, was faced with a Team Rocket member. I battled him, and knocked him unconscious like the others. Only this time he dropped a cardkey. I grabbed the key and read the words. _This is used for the elevator. I can reach the main office with this. _I quickly ran off to a nearby elevator. I used the card to take me to the fourth floor of the basement. Once I was there, I defeated the grunts that were guarding the main office and ran inside. The office was decorated lavishly, and whoever owned it had good taste. My eyes scanned the room until I saw the object of my fury.

A man in his mid-forties was sitting behind the well-crafted wooden desk. His short, dark brown tresses were slicked back. He had hard, sharp, uncaring black eyes. He wore a bright orange suit with a green vest and white dress-shirt underneath. Brown dress shoes covered his feet. He smiled cruelly at me, "Good evening, Isabella Delia Vanielle."

I blinked, taking a second to register his words, "W-what did you just say?"

"Do you not even recognize your own name?" the man asked.

My eyes narrowed dangerously, "How do you know me?"

"Come, sit down," he held out his hand, "And I will explain everything."

I shook my head stubbornly, "I'm not here to talk things over! I'm here to get you guys out of Celadon City!"

"Of course you are," the man said as he rose to his feet. He smiled, "Your eyes carry a brilliant, rebellious fire. As did your mother's every time she saw me. She was also a beauty…you seem to have inherited the looks of your father, with a mixture of your mother's elegance and angelic looks."

I was not sure whether to be appalled, confused, to blush. Instead, I settled for the first two. _This guy knows my parents! But how? My family has never been involved with Team Rocket…have they? _I shook my head and called out Charmeleon. He grinned and pointed his finger at my fire-type. To my surprise, a crème-yellow colored, large feline leapt onto the playing field. A red gem was embedded in its forehead; its round ears were lined with black. It had sharp, dark gold irises and sharp fangs. _Persian, the normal-type. It is the evolved form of Meowth. They are wanted for their elegant air. But they are hard to care for. They have been known to Scratch their owners for no apparent reason. They usually live in towns and cities, and can occasionally be found in vibrant forests. _

The Persian held its tail up, a sign that it was an experienced fighter. The man smirked, "Before we battle, I shall reveal my name to you. I am Giovanni, the Leader of Team Rocket. Now…Persian…Pay Day!" A silver light shot from the cat's forehead. The attack bounced off of Charmeleon's claws as he protected himself.

"Dragon Rage!" I cried. The fire-type lunged at Persian, prepared to unleash a powerful attack.

"Evade!" Giovanni said. Both he and his normal-type dodged Charmeleon as he slammed into the man's desk, ruining it. "Slash!" Persian hissed and lunged at Charmeleon, landing on him and releasing a powerful swipe of its claws. Blood flew from Charmeleon's face.

"Metal Claw!" I called. His claws shimmered silver a he brought them up at the cat. It moved just in time to avoid the attack.

"Fury Swipes." Persian unleashed a devastating onslaught of attacks on Charmeleon, successfully knocking him unconscious. My jaw dropped; that was the fist time that that had ever happened, other than my tiebreaker with Gary.

I shook myself back to earth and recalled my starter. _You deserve a good rest. _I thought as I called on Growlithe. Giovanni dismissed his Persian, who leapt to the side, and called out another pokemon. It was a large, light orange crab. _Kingler, a water-type. It is the evolved form of Krabby. They can be found on beaches. Crap, a water-type. _"Growlithe, use Take Down!"

"Hydro Pump." My face contorted in horror as Growlithe was thrown against the wall, knocked unconscious immediately. I quickly recalled my injured pup and summoned Pikachu, praying that he would be able to beat the water-type. My hopes were crushed when Giovanni recalled his Kingler and summoned another pokemon. It looked like a light brown dinosaur whose body was made of rocks, other than its arms, legs, and head. It had sharp, fangs claws, and sharp crimson eyes. _Golem, a rock/ground type. It is the fully evolved form of Geodude. They are hard to find in the wild, but they can be located in mountainous regions. _

I stammered as I spoke, "T-Thunder Shock." Pikachu's attacks did not have any effect, as expected.

"Body Slam." Giovanni ordered coolly. Golem left my Pikachu lying on the floor, unconscious and breathless. I recalled him and then summoned Eevee. _I won't lose! _He did the same and summoned a new pokemon. It looked like an overly muscular man with gray skin, four arms, a strange, pokemon-face, and a black Speedo. _Machamp, the fighting-type. It is the fully evolved form of Machop. _

"Last Resort!" I cried. The attacked was interrupted, however.

"Mega Punch." Machamp knocked Eevee out, and battle was over before it began. I recalled my pokemon, and called on Nidorina. Machamp defeated her easily. For the first time in my quest, I had been beaten by another trainer. I did not have enough time to digest the information, seeing as Machamp punched me in the gut, thus knocking the wind out of me. I doubled over and fell to the floor; black blotches hindered my vision. _"Now, we can continue where we left off." _Was all I heard before losing consciousness…

**Gary's POV: **

I sighed as I dropped to the chair; all of my pokemon were with Nurse Joy. I kicked my feet onto the table and prepared for a few hours of relaxation. I had been training near Celadon for days, honing my pokemon's skills. I would move onto Saffron soon. My plans, however, came to a halt when a familiar cry filled the Center. I opened my eyes, to my surprise, found little Larvitar near the doors. It was sobbing uncontrollably. I stood up and approached the ground-type. "Larvitar!" I called. The green-pokemon looked up at me, and began sobbing again. It ran up to me and leapt into my arms, crying into my blue shirt. "What's wrong?" I asked. _Better question is: where's Bella? Did Larvitar wander off or someth'in? _

The doors opened again, and that boy Gabrielle sprinted into the Center with Red at his heels. Red looked at me, gasping for air, "Gary!"

"What?" I asked, not wanting to deal with one of my rivals.

"B-Bella's in trouble!" he cried.

My heart nearly skipped a beat, "What? What happened?" I stood up with Larvitar in my arms.

"She's been captured by Team Rocket." Gabrielle replied.

My eyes grew wide, "What!? Where's their stupid hideout!?"

"Game corner." Red replied automatically; Gabrielle smacked him on the back of the head. I shoved past the two and sprinted towards the casino. I ran through the double doors and found everywhere standing near a corner. I shoved past the group to see what the ruckus was about.

"What's going on?" I asked angrily.

"Team Rocket fled the city!" a woman cried happily.

My eyebrow twitched, "So the base is empty?" She nodded, "Where'd they go!?"

"Probably to their main HQ in Saffron, Silph Co." a man replied.

Team Rocket fled Celadon City. And they managed to kidnap Bella in the process. They were in Saffron, the city I was planning to visit next. For some reason, I decided that that city was far more important than it was a few minutes ago. I turned and stormed out of the casino. I returned to the Pokemon Center and retrieved my pokemon. I left the city with a protesting Gabrielle and Red at my heels…

**Now the story is from Gary's POV for a few chapters. Note: Bella and Gary are the only ones that Larvitar will allow to hold them without Hardening. Please review and the next chapter will be up soon…**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank-you for your reviews ****Kitsune24 ****, ****kankananime123****, ****CherriAme****, and ****Permanently Scarred****. I understand that it was confusing, so from now on I'll say whose POV it is in bold. And ****Permanently Scarred****, I laughed when I read your review, lol. It fit for some odd reason. I also went back to Chapters 11 and 13 and made it easier for everyone to figure out the POV. Sorry if Gary seems OOC recently; that usually happens in romances. And no, Gabrielle won't have any romantic feelings for Bella. But there will be an OC later on who does, so it will become a love triangle later (even if one love is one-sided). And this chapter hints at another reason why she was so nervous to meet the Saffron Gym Leader, as well as Bella's past. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 14: Rescue **

"_Never be bullied into silence._

_Never allow yourself to be made a victim._

_Accept no one's definition of your life…_

_Define yourself_."

-Harvey Fierstein

**Gary's POV: **

After hearing the unfortunate news, I angrily began making my way to Saffron City. Luckily, it was not far from Celadon; I would be there in at least three hours. Larvitar was sitting my arms with a depressed expression on his face. That was when I realized how important she was to him. To a degree, Bella was Larvitar's adoptive mother. Team Rocket already stripped the poor baby of its biological mother; I was not about to let them take its only family away. Besides, what use is a rival if she's dead? The Gabrielle guy and Red followed me, trying to convince me not to go. I ignored them. My cheerleaders were still in a beauty salon in Celadon, so they were safe. It took me three hours to cross Route Seven and reach Saffron City, just as I expected. I was a little surprised to see even more Rockets walking the streets. I went to the Gym and found it was boarded off by a grunt. I groaned and went to the tallest building in the city: Silph Company. I hid in an alley and glanced around the corner; there was a guard.

_Of course. _I thought. Red and Gabrielle crouched down beside me, "So what's your plan?" Red asked.

"Dunno yet." I held Larvitar out to him. He tried to take the infant, but the green pokemon Hardened in fear. I stared at it for a second and then held it close to my chest. He relaxed and cuddled against my dark blue shirt.

"Does it do that to everyone?" Red asked.

I shrugged, "Not sure. But from what I've seen, Larvitar will let me and Bella hold him."

A goofy grin spread over Gabrielle's face, "Awww! You two are Larvitar's Mommy and Daddy." He cooed.

I glared at him, "What? That's ridiculous. I'm just a fabulous person; not even Larvitar could dislike me," Gabrielle rolled his eyes. Red looked confused. I glanced around the corner, "So since you two are here, then can you give me some pointers on what to do?"

Red looked thoughtful, "Well, we could ambush three guys, steal their uniforms, and then sneak in as Grunts."

"What?" I flashed him a weird look, "There's no way they'll believe that three preteens are members of Team Rocket."

Gabrielle shrugged, "We could be very petite men." He was trying to make a joke out of the plan.

Red crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, "Do either of _you _have a better idea?" Neither one of us said anything. He had us there.

I sighed and shook my head, "Okay, let's go look for the most pathetic and weakest looking Grunts and steal their uniforms." The three of us ran from the corner and began searching through Saffron City. It did not take long for us to find them. Red called out Ivysaur and had it use Sleeping Powder on them. Then we stripped them of their clothes and changed into the Grunt's uniforms. Once we were disguised, the three of us returned to Silph Co. The grunt was still there. After deciding how our plan would go, we made our way towards him.

The Grunt noticed us quickly and looked at us, as if he were thinking something over, "Who are you?"

"We're Grunts, who else?" I asked in a deep voice. "We're here to bring this rare pokemon to the boss."

The man stared at us for a moment and then chuckled, "You kids aren't fooling anyone with those mediocre disguises."

"Really?" Red asked.

"Really." The man stated.

The brown-haired boy smirked, "Okay," He quickly called out Ivysaur, "Sleep Powder!" Green powder swam across the ground and engulfed the man, knocking him unconscious immediately. "Good." Red praised his pokemon as he recalled it. We hid the man's unconscious body before entering the company, and no-one even noticed…

**Giovanni's POV: **

My feet echoed off of the walls and floor as I moved through the mostly white corridors. My beautiful Persian walked beside me, purring as I stroked his fur every now and then. I smirked as I remembered the events that had just transpired moments before. In my old office, which was located Celadon, I stood; across me stood the famous Isabelle Vanielle. She has grown since the last I saw her; she was still a small child, barley old enough to know her ABCs during our last meeting. After defeating her, and showing her that she and I were still on two completely different levels, I used Machamp to knock her unconscious. Once she was easier to handle, I had two Grunts come in with a stretcher and carry her away. My office was ruined, and there was no point in staying in Celadon any longer. So I moved us back to our main HQ; the supplies I needed was here anyway.

Now I was searching for the lab that was located near the President's office, on the top floor of the building. For that is where the project would begin. I rode the elevator up the top floor and slid the cardkey through the lock, unlocking the doors and entering the mostly white lab. I was in what appeared to be a control room. There were scientists dressed in crisp white coats working at the computers. I moved so that I was standing in front of a glass window; in the room beyond the window, Isabella lay strapped to a metal table. She was wearing what appeared to be a hospital gown and her own socks.

"Are you ready to begin?" I asked.

The head scientist nodded, "Almost. Her brainwave frequencies are healthy, and we're about to connect with the other lab. From what I can see, she's even stronger than she was a few years ago."

I smirked, "Good. Then we should receive the desired effect?"

"Yes, sir." The man replied as his fingers clicked away at the keyboard. _Good. Now no-one can stop me, and soon I shall have the most powerful pokemon in the world under my command. I would prefer to be its trainer, but due to my lack in what is needed, then I must rely on this little girl. Sabrina was useless, but this one will be perfect to control a pokemon of this magnitude. Just in case, my scientists have created special armor to help focus the pokemon's abilities. _A scientist entered the other room and walked towards the sleeping girl. She should be awake by this point; I was sure that they had administered a sedative a while back.

The scientist held up a syringe full of orange liquid and gently stuck the needle into her arm after searching for a vein. Isabella flinched and squirmed around, but her eyes remained shut. "This will help ease her mind and connect her with it easier," The scientist explained. "She won't be injured." I could careless if she was harmed by the serum. As long as she was useful in the end, that was all that mattered. The scientists continued to click away until he opened his mouth again, "Ready to begin." All of his fellows began clicking away at their own keyboards. Two brainwaves appeared on two screens. From what I could see, they were in stable condition. _Good. _Isabella's eyes shot open; they were glowing a bright blue…

**Gary's POV: **

My legs were throbbing. My lungs were sore and breathless, as if I had been running a marathon. At that point, I was sure had. For next three hours I had been running in circles with those two Neanderthals following behind. Larvitar was still in my arms, clutching the black Team Rocket sure for dear life. Ivysaur had become our best friend, seeing as he used Sleeping Powder to knock nearly every Grunt we came across unconscious. I had to do what no man should ever do in a few instances: kick another male between the legs. I flinched and grimaced every time I did it, but it needed to be done. Saving Bella was far more important than thinking of the pain I was putting my own gender through. I called out Nidorino a few times to ram through Grunts and their pokemon, but Ivysaur did most of the work.

It was difficult to navigate through the base. Rooms were blocked off with gates, and we needed a cardkey to unlock them all. So, we took to checking every grunt we knocked unconscious for a cardkey. None of them had one. Soon, we came across more elite Rockets that did not wear the black uniforms. They wore their original clothes with an 'R' on them. Most of them had electric-types. Soon, random scientists seemed to come out of no-where and challenge us. We fought each and every one of them, desperately searching for a cardkey. Running up and down the stairs was grating at my nerves. I was relieved when we came across the Rocket that had the cardkey; we confiscated it and began unlocking as many gates as possible. There were innocent Silph Co. employees trapped inside some of the locked rooms; they seemed relieved to see us after they figured out that we were not with Team Rocket. Most of them looked like they were about to wet themselves.

"What floor is your boss on?" I asked.

"The sixty-sixth." A trembling man replied.

I immediately ran out of the room with Red, Gabrielle, and Ivysaur at my heels. We used the cardkey to unlock even more doors. There was another interesting mechanism in this place. There were tiles on the floors that would teleport us from room to room. The four of us made use of these tiles as we tried to navigate through the building. Eventually we came across one tile that brought us to an extra room. In this room, I ran into an odd duo. The four of us stopped ourselves from jumping onto the tiles when this speech began:

"Prepare for trouble, you got that right!" a male voice said dramatically.

"And make it double!" a female said in the same tone.

"'Cause we're here for a fight!" the man added.

"To infect the world with devastation." The woman said.

"To blight all peoples within every nation!" the man added.

The woman spun around and changed her pose, "To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!" As did her male partner.

The girl smirked at me, "Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course." Her male companion said quickly.

They changed their poses into something even stranger, "We're Team Rocket, circling earth all day and night!" The woman, Cassidy, continued.

"Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight, fight, fight!" Butch finished. They both ended their overly dramatic introduction in a ridiculous pose. My eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

_Who are these clowns? _I wondered, "Get outta my way!" I called.

"No way, kid." The green-haired man said as he summoned a Primeape.

"We won't let you get in our Boss's way." Cassidy smirked as she called out a Raticate.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a pokeball, "Alright, you asked for it." I tossed it into the air and called out my Blastoise. He evolved shortly after I defeated Erika. _Blastoise, the water-type. It is the final evolved form of Squirtle. They are very gentle and calm pokemon. They can be found living on islands near the beach. _Blastoise was a large pokemon; it was taller than a full grown man. It had light blue skin, and its light brown shell was now equipped with a pair of guns. Red's Ivysaur stepped forward, and Gabrielle's Vulpix joined the fray. Butch and Cassidy looked a little worried.

"Razor Leaf!" Red called.

"Hydro Pump!" I ordered.

"Flamethrower!" Gabrielle commanded. A combined Flamethrower and Hydro Pump was shot at them, with razor sharp leaves encircling the blast. Cassidy and Butch dodged the attack, but their pokemon was injured. The attack was so powerful that it burned a hole into the wall behind them. The two Agents recalled their injured pokemon and immediately fled like the cowards they were. We recalled our pokemon and prepared to head for the next tile.

"Wait!" a male voice called. I turned towards it, expecting a Rocket. Instead if was a Silph Co. employee. He walked up to me and handed me a pokeball, "Take this Lapras. We usually test on them to learn about their species, but I'm sure that she would be better off with you." I nodded and placed the pokeball on my belt. Once that was over, the three of us teleported away…

When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring directly at the door to the main office, and the door to the another room. We began making our way to the office, only to notice a female Rocket walking towards us. I was about to call out Nidorino, but she stopped and quickly threw her hat off. I was surprised to see a fourteen-year-old girl. "Huh?" _Is she a Rocket? _

"Lizzie!" Red called.

The blonde smiled at him, "Red!" She ran up to him and embraced the boy, "it's been ages!"

"Same here. What're you doing here? And why're you dressed like that?" He asked.

"I heard from certain sources that Bella was kidnapped by Team Rocket. So I came to save her." Lizzie explained.

I stared at her, "Do you know Bella?"

She nodded, "Yeah. And I'm going to beat the shat out of Team Rocket's boss when I find him!" She turned to the door, "And a cardkey won't work on this. We need the master key."

"Then let's…" I began.

"No need," she grinned as she reeled her fist back and then brought it forward against the lock. The metal lock broke, and the doors opened, "I have my own key."

My jaw dropped, "Okay, either that's a cheap lock or something."

"Lizzie is the strongest girl I know," Red said nonchantly, "I feel sorry for the next person she punches." We entered the main office. No-one but a Grunt was there. Lizzie crossed the room and punched him in the nose.

"Where's your Boss? Where's the President?" She spat. An interrogation soon followed. The man had two black eyes and a broken nose by the end of it. From what he said, their Boss was in the lab beside the room, and the President was being held captive in Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town. We went on to the lab beside the room, and found a control room. Scientists in crisp white coats turned to us; there was one man in a bright orange suit, and a Persian sat at his side.

He narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"

"None of Your Business," I replied and called on Blastoise, "Where's Bella?"

"Why not take a look yourself?" the man smirked. He grabbed a pokeball and called out a large grey dinosaur that was covered rock hard armor. _Rhydon, the ground/rock type. It is far smarter than its pre-evolution, Rhyhorn. They can be found in caverns. The females have smaller horns than the males. _

Gabrielle called out a Sandslash, and Red called on his Ivysaur. "Slash!" the raven-haired boy called.

"Hyper Beam!" Red ordered.

I gestured towards Rhydon, "Hydro Pump!" Powerful water shot from Blastoise's cannons and slammed into the ground-type. A golden light shot from Ivysaur's bulb and hit the ground-type next. Slash cut into the rock-hard flesh, injuring it greatly.

"One more Hyper Beam!" the brunette called. Another golden light later, and the computers were so damaged as well as the unconscious Rhydon.

The man snarled at us as he called on a Golem and Kingler, "Kill them!" He ordered. The pokemon ran at us.

"Hyper Beam!" Red called, he gestured to Kingler.

"Hydro Pump!" I gestured to Golem. The man's pokemon were knocked back with attacks that went against their own elements. My eyes scanned the man, and to my surprise, I saw that he was holding Bella's belt with all of her pokemon. Without thinking, I sprinted at him and reached for his hand. A Persian leapt at me, but Gabrielle's Sandslash guarded me. I tore the belt from his grip and jerked away. That's when I saw her. Bella was in another room, strapped to a metal table. She was connected with the computers with a strange helmet on her head.

Red noticed it too, "Hyper Beam!" he gestured to the glass windows. Ivysaur shattered them, allowing me access into the room. Destroying the computers was a mistake. The computers within the room Bella was trapped in shattered and blew apart, including her weird helmet. Bella lifted up into a sitting position and glared around the room. Her eyes were glowing a bright blue. It looked as though she were possessed. She glared at the control room, and more computers blew apart. A powerful wind began to circulate through the room. I had no idea what was going on, but I was sure that Bella had something to do with it.

I could see that she was in pain. She was hurt, emotionally. My heart dropped to my feet, and I slowly began making my way to her. She was hovering in midair, blowing apart even more of the equipment in the room. "BELLA!" I called. She did not respond, "BELLA! IT'S ME! GARY! WAKE-UP!!!" She simply hovered there, blowing apart more computers just by looking at them. I jumped down into the other room and slowly began walking towards her, fighting the powerful wind that emitted from her enraged expression. Larvitar was hiding somewhere in Lizzie's backpack, so he was safe. I stopped when I was close to Bella. I reached towards her, but a deep cut appeared on my arm when she glared at me. I flinched, but continued my advance. I could feel different cuts appear on my torso as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her to the ground.

"Bella," I whispered when her ear was close enough, "Bella, its okay. Just calm down. I won't let them hurt you anymore." I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a loving embrace, "Calm down." I whispered. Another deep cut appeared on my back. I grimaced, and clenched my teeth. I looked at her; the pain in her heart was evident on her face. Everything fell apart immediately. I did the first thing I could think of. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers, praying that this would send the message through. Bella grew stiff and hovered there, staring at me with wide eyes. Her feet touched the ground, and her eyes returned to being moon-blue.

"Gary…" she whispered, staring at me like a Vulpix in headlights.

I embraced her, "It's OK, Bells. They won't hurt you anymore. I promise." And to my surprise, she hugged me back. I could feel her body tremble as tears began to flow from her eyes.

The man's eyes narrowed, "You won't escape!" He called out a Machamp and sent it at us. I recalled Blastoise and drug Bella towards the window.

"Use Hyper Beam!" Red called from the distance. A golden light hit Machamp and smashed through the window.

"Thanks!" I called back to him. I grabbed Bella's shoulders and pulled her out of the window.

All I heard was, "What are you doing-AAAAHHH!!!" Then she began screaming as loud as she could. "WE'RE GONNA DIE-AHHHHH!!!"

I wrapped my arms around her as gravity began to drag downwards. It was a stupid decision to jump from the sixty-sixth floor, but at least we could escape now. I glared at her, "WILL YOU STOP SCREAMING ALREADY!?"

She returned the expression, "I'LL SCREAM IF I WANT TO!!!" My eardrums were being thoroughly abused. _Now how are we gonna get out of this? _I wondered. I received my answer when one of Bella's pokeballs opened, allowing her Charmeleon free.

It roared in a determined voice and began falling faster towards the ground. _What is it doing!? _I wondered. A silver lining appeared around the fire-type's body. _Is it…? _A bright white light engulfed Charmeleon's body, and he slowly grew until he was bigger than a full grown man. The light vanished, and soon a newly evolved pokemon was diving towards the concrete ground below. It had light orange skin, and two horns jutting out of its head. The flame on its tail had grown. It sky blue eyes were sharper than before. Two, powerful wings began to beat against the window. _Charizard, the fire/flying type. It is final evolution of Charmander. They are often competitive, and love to battle. They are extremely rare in the wild. This one is male. _

Charizard flew beneath us, and the both of us landed on his back. The starter flew to the ground landed at the bottom. I looked up and found several giant boulders and debris falling towards us. _CRAP! _I thought as I used my body as a shield for the now unconscious Bella. I awaited the debris, but they never came. I thought Charizard moved, but he did not. The fire-type was still standing there. I looked down, and to my surprise there was a woman standing there. She appeared to be around twenty-one. She had long black hair, and sharp dark blue irises. She wore a bright red, long-sleeved shirt with a black sash around her waist; the shirt doubled as tunic. White gloves covered her hands. Black leggings acted as her pants; she also wore bright red boots.

Beside her sat a little yellow pokemon that appeared to be sleeping. _Abra, a physic-type. They must have eighteen hours of sleep, and can use their powers even when sleeping. They live near urban areas. _I looked up. The debris was floating in midair above us. I looked back at the woman. Her eyes were glowing a bright blue as she gazed up at the debris. She looked at me, "Is Bella safe?" She asked in a monotone voice.

I nodded, "Uh-huh…but how're you…?" I could understand how Abra was doing it, but I was confused about the woman.

"No time to explain," she said quickly, "Follow me to the Pokemon Center." I jumped off of Charizard, with Bella in my arms, and recalled him before following the woman across the city…

**End of this chapter. Some of Bella's past will be revealed in the next chapter. Please review and I will update soon…**


	16. Chapter 16

**And the next chapter is up. Also, the scene in this fic is from **_**Mewtwo's Origins**_**. Its an episode I saw a few years ago. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 15: Origins **

"_For death is no more _

_Than a turning _

_Of us over from time to eternity_."

-William Penn

**Bella's POV: **

_The cool air created by an air-conditioner surrounded me. Scientists in crisp white lab coats busily walked by from computer to computer. Each screen had a different image. One was of four heartbeats. The other revolved around four brain-wave functions. My small hand was being held by a larger one; I looked up and found it to be the hand of my father. He was younger than the last time I laid eyes on him. Short, brown hair that was not streaked with grey; I could see flecks of grey, though. His face lacked any wrinkle, and the bags that used to haunt his expression were non-existent. He was dressed in a strange black uniform. It took me a second to realize what he was wearing. _

_My father wore a black, sleeveless shirt with a bright red 'R' on the front. A long-sleeved white shirt was underneath. He wore gray gloves, and a gray belt that had three pokeballs on it. Black pants covered his legs, along with gray boots. My father was an elite member of Team Rocket. _

"_Bella," his voice scared me. He looked down at me and smiled softly, "Bella, I need you to go talk to him again." _

"_The scary man?" I replied without thinking. It was as if my mouth had moved on its own. _

_He shook his head, and I instantly felt relieved for some reason, "No. I want you to go talk to your friends." _

_I seemed to realize who he spoke of, and nodded my head in agreement. My father led me towards a set of five tanks that were filled with dark orange liquid. Inside one tank was a glowing ball of light. The next tank held a sleeping Squirtle, but it was different from any other; dark blue strips decorated its head. A sleeping Bulbasaur was in the next; it had dark green strips. A sleeping Charmander floated without care; it had dark red strips. Then there was the last. A strange, never-before-seen pokemon lived inside of it. It was curled in a tiny ball, sleeping the days away. Or that's how it appeared. I could feel my mind shake and wriggle around as it slowly began to shove my will outwards. Mentally, I could actually feel my mind enter the strange pokemon…_

_It was like diving into the deep dephs of the sea. My eyes opened, and I found myself hovering in the darkness. A little girl was hovering in front of me. She was probably around six, only two years younger than myself. She wore a long-sleeved, white nightgown and socks. Thick, medium length hair covered her head. Her appeared to be a bluish color, which matched her eyes. Beside her hovered the odd looking, yet awake, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. I turned to the one that hovered beside me. _

_It looked so much like the friend that I had lost when I was younger. Yet so different at the same time. It was the same size as a six-year-old human child, and had childish features, revealing its true age. Only it had the features of a pokemon, too. Its body was a pale lavender, almost completely white. It had curious dark purple irises; two horns jutted out of its skull. Its stomach was a dark purple, as was its long tail. It had three fingers on its human-like hands, and three twos on its feet. It has human features, but most of its physical traits were cat-like._

_The purple pokemon looked at me and smiled, "Hi, Bella." _

_I smiled back, without even knowing why, "Hey, Mewtwo," I replied, "How 'ya do'in?" _

"_Fine," Mewtwo replied. He had the voice of a young boy, a human male child. "Did the scary man yell at you again?"_

_I shook my head, "Nope. He just told me to do what I do best and talk to you," I turned towards the girl, whose name just randomly appeared in my head. I suddenly knew her, "What're we doing today, Amber?" _

_She smiled, "We're giving little Mewtwo here another lesson what the real world looks like," She replied. The scenery changed into what appeared to be a happy little neighborhood. It was in black and white. She gestured to it for Mewtwo to see, "This is where I used to live." _

"_Really?" Mewtwo asked. Suddenly, the sun appeared and brightened the neighborhood. "What's that?" he asked. _

_I laughed, "That's the sun, silly."_

"_Yeah," Amber agreed, "Its keeps us all warm and brings light during the day." _

_Mewtwo reached up, as if he could touch the golden orb. Wind blew by, scaring him. "What was that?" he asked curiously. Mewtwo spoke telepathically, so his mouth did not move. _

"_That's the wind," Amber explained, "Sometimes its soft and sometimes its really strong." _

_The scenery changed again so that there was a sunset instead. I gestured towards the sun, "That's a sunset. That's when the sun goes to bed." I said in the voice of a little girl. _

_Then the moon appeared, "Is that a sun?" Mewtwo asked curiously. _

_Amber giggled, "No. It's the moon. It gives us light so we won't be lost in the dark." Mewtwo gazed at it curiously. _

_But then I noticed that Charmander was beginning to fade away. I gasped in horror as soon Squirtle and Bulbasaur followed. "No!" I cried. I turned to Amber and Mewtwo, "They're gone…Amber?" Her body began to shimmer like they had. "Amber?" _

_She smiled at us softly, "Amber?" Mewtwo asked. _

"_I think…its time for me to go," she said sadly._

"_Why?" Mewtwo asked. _

_Tears began to slide down my cheeks. I reached out for her, "Amber…please…don't go." I sobbed the last part. Tears slid down Mewtwo's cheeks. _

"_Never forget, Mewtwo, that life is wonderful. And those are called tears. Your crying. My Daddy says that when pokemon are sad, their tears are filled with life," Amber explained, "Good-bye, Mewtwo…Bella…remember…life is wonderful…" _

_Amber vanished, as did the neighborhood. Then everything changed. I was seeing the scene from a Third Person point of view. I could see a younger version of myself hovering beside Mewtwo, holding onto his hand. She was sobbing with him. Suddenly, she too began to disappear. "Mewtwo…my Daddy wants me to leave. I'm sorry…I'll come back again." She hugged him, and then younger Bella vanished. _

"_Bella!" Mewtwo called. Tears continued to fall from his eyes, "Amber!" His body trembled angrily, "These tears…what good are they…?" He looked upwards into the sky, "Bella! Amber! Come back! Don't go, please!" He sobbed. And then there was darkness…_

_I was hovering in the darkness, curled in a ball. It was cold. A familiar feeling of diving in the ocean surrounded me. I could hear a voice. _

"_This place…these voices…where am I…?" _

_It was a deep voice, like an adult man speaking. My eyes opened slightly. I could see a familiar being hovering across from me. "Who are you?" he asked, "Your presence…is…familiar. _

_I could not respond. "Are you one of those strange creatures? I can hear them…but I cannot see them. Those 'people'?" he asked. I nodded. He opened his eyes and glared at me, "Who are you? What is my purpose? Why am I here?" Anger began to fill my heart, and I was not sure why. And then…a warm sensation on my lips…and then darkness once more…_

My eyes opened as my consciousness slowly returned to reality. My eyes opened; there was a blur, but it vanished quickly. I slowly sat up and glanced around. I was in a bedroom. From what I could see, it was a bedroom in a Pokemon Center. There was also a familiar woman sitting on the bed. "Sabrina?" I gasped.

Sabrina was sitting on the bed, starring at me with a stern expression, "Good morning, Bella." She said in a monotone voice.

I felt nervous, "Uh…hi?"

"There is no need to feel afraid, Bella. I am not mad at you," Sabrina said, "But you are safe from Team Rocket now. They have fled the city."

"And Celadon, too?" I asked. She nodded. I sighed in relief, "Good. My mission was a success!" I gave her a thumbs up.

The door flew open and Gary's head popped into the room. Larvitar was sitting on his shoulders, playing with his red/brown tresses, "Is she awake yet?" He asked impatiently. He saw me and smiled broadly. The brunette walked into the room and sat on the bed beside me. Larvitar jumped off of his head and landed in my lap; he pressed his face against my stomach and purred happily.

"Hey there little guy," I smiled. More footsteps near the door. I looked up and found Red, Gabrielle, and Lizzie all in the bedroom. "Yo." I said.

"That was so cool!" Red cried, "You were kicking ass Bella! How'd you do all that?"

I blinked, "I was doing what?"

"Your powers went out of control." Sabrina explained.

I looked down sheepishly, "Oh…"

"Powers?" Gary asked.

I sighed, "Yes. I forgot to mention this, but I was born with the ability to use Telekinesis. And the Gym Leader of Saffron City, Sabrina Natsume, is my cousin on my mom's side."

Gary blinked, "And you never mentioned this why…?"

"Because her family distanced itself from mine," Sabrina explained, "I was became too unstable, and then they became mixed with Team Rocket."

"But why?" I asked, "_I _don't even know why."

Sabrina shrugged, "I do not know. But it was for nothing positive, I am sure of that much. As for me, I was locked within my own Gym, and I used my own powers to escape."

"I got my Marsh Badge while you were asleep the past two days," Gary added, "Are you OK?" He asked.

I nodded, "Yeah," my stomach released a mighty growl, "Just really hungry."

Sabrina rose to her feet, "I will order lunch," She quickly walked out of the room. "Everyone leave Bella so she may completely regain herself." She used her powers to drag everyone else out with her. I fell back onto the bed with Larvitar nestled in my lap. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, and I soon followed…

It was hours later when I woke-up again. Sabrina returned to my room with a large dinner prepared, and watched me eat all of it silently. She gave Larvitar some food, too. I ate my dinner, and once it was gone, I climbed out of bed and walked to the window. I opened it and climbed onto the balcony. I sat down on the concrete balcony with Larvitar in my lap. My moon-blue irises gazed up at the lunar circle; thoughts of my dreams with that strange being passed through my brain. I was busy staring at the moon, when the sound of footsteps interrupted me. I turned to the window; Gary was smiling at me. He climbed out of the window and sat beside me. Both of us were silent. There was nothing to say.

He was holding a blanket, which he slung over both of us. I involuntarily leaned against him, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Larvitar cuddled up to both of us, purring merrily. The scene was perfect until a loud sound snapped us back to reality. Both of us turned to the source. Lizzie, Gabrielle, and Red were standing behind us, holding cameras. I rolled my eyes while Gary glared at them.

Lizzie held up the picture, "Blackmail!" and cackled maniacally.

Gabrielle snapped his fingers as though he just realized something, "Oh!" He turned and grabbed Lizzie's shoulders. I watched in surprise as he tried to pull her into a kiss. Lizzie glared at him and slapped him across the face.

"What're you doing!?" she cried.

"Gary and Bella did it, so I thought that we should follow suit." A crimson hand mark appeared on Gabrielle's cheek as he continued to smirk.

A blush crept onto my face when he reminded me that Gary and I kissed. I plugged my ears and childishly screamed, "LA, LA, LA, LA!!! I can't hear you!!!"

Gary's face contorted in disgust and began spitting at the ground, "It wasn't like I meant to do it! I tripped!"

I glared at him, "Yeah right! You forced yourself on me!"

"Yeah and I regret it!" Gary spat back.

My eyes narrowed even more, "What'd you say!?"

"That it was gross!!!" he shouted.

"Well you're a gross, egotistical jackass!" I shouted back.

Gabrielle sighed, "Two minutes together and their already at it. But I guess that means that everything's back to normal."

Lizzie grabbed the boy's arms, "Come on guys. Let's leave the lovebirds alone." She drug them out of my bedroom.

Gary and I were left alone. We sat there, fuming like immature children. My body fell unsteadily; I was still tired after all that happened. Gary caught me, and to my surprise, embraced me. I did not hug him back; I simply relaxed in his arms. It was just like we were kids. When we were little, Gary and I were closer than anyone else. We did a lot together, but after he changed, I slowly began to pull away from him. But now I was seeing a side of him that I had not seen since we were little. I looked up at him, and he smiled at me. Gary leaned down and kissed my forehead, "Goodnight, Bells," He pulled a pokeball out of his pocket and handed it to me, "I want you to take this Lapras."

"But Gary, I already have…" an idea struck me. It was going to hurt, but I would feel better knowing that she was under his care. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pokeball. It opened, and Nidorina was sitting in front of us. I smiled at her, "Nidorina," she looked at me, "I want you to go with Gary. I want you to go with him and protect him for me, okay? I promise that we'll see each other again." I whispered and embraced her. Tears slid down my cheeks; Nidorina stroked my head with her nose, "I'll never forget you, girl." She nodded. I recalled Nidorina and handed him her pokeball, "Take good care of her." I said.

He nodded, "I will." He shrank her pokeball and placed it on his belt. He stood up and walked away.

I held the pokeball close, wondering when I would be able to see my new pokemon. Larvitar cuddled up to me, and soon, I fell asleep…

**Bella said farewell to Nidorina. That's how Gary gets his Nidoqueen in this story. Please review and the next chapter will be up…**


	17. Chapter 17

**And now for the next short chapter. Yes, Nidorina is no longer Bella's pokemon. She mostly gave her to Gary so that she could watch over him. I had actually planned on Nidorina leaving Bella sometime during her adventure in Kanto. But this won't be the last time Bella sees Nidorina, seeing as she is with Gary and he appears periodically throughout the story. Now, on with the story… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 16: Telekinesis **

"_God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame_."

-Elizabeth Barret Browning

I spent the next few days recovering in the Pokemon Center. Red, Gabrielle, and Lizzie all left one by one. They said their goodbyes before, leaving, of course. Gary and Sabrina would visit me periodically, before the fourteen-year-old boy decided that it was time for him to take his leave. He said goodbye, and then continued on Fuchisa City. Sabrina told me of how she learned to be happy after meeting a boy named Ash and his Pikachu. So he already had his Marsh Badge. I spent my days in the Center, hanging out with my pokemon. I was surprised to see that Charmeleon had evolved into Charizard during the escape mission, but was proud at the same time. After being given the OK from Nurse Joy, I decided to earn the next badge on my checklist: the Marsh Badge. However, that would not be an easy task. Without a psychic or ghost pokemon, defeating Sabrina would be almost impossible. And I was fully aware that she would not take it easy on me just because we were cousins. So there was only one thing to do: overcome my fear and catch a ghost-type. The next few hours were spent asking where I could catch a ghost-type. No-one really knew, so I was left without any information.

I was standing on the sidewalk scratching the back of my neck. _Dangit, I can't find any information on ghost pokemon. _I sighed. _Maybe I should try to catch an Abra and raise it until it's a Kadabra? _"Bella?" a rough voice asked. I turned, and a smile spread over my face.

"Uncle!" I cried. I ran up to the man that stood behind me, who was in his early fifties. I embraced him, "It's been years!" The man had short black hair, a beard, and deeply tanned skin. His face was lined with age, and he wore a dark green sweat-suit.

He hugged me back, "My little Bella! How've you been?"

"Fine," Telling him about the incident with Team Rocket was not a priority. "But I'm having trouble finding information on ghost pokemon. I need to fight Sabrina for my Marsh Badge."

He nodded, "Understood. Well, if you want a ghost-type, then you should try Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town. But that place can be really dangerous, so be careful while your there, okay?"

"And who do you think you're talking to?" I asked, trying to sound as if I were full of confidence. To tell the truth, I was terrified to see a ghost. The undead frightened me more then cafeteria food did; and that was saying something, since I was sure that my old schools, cheap, store-bought pancakes could move. I said farewell to my uncle, and quickly called out Charizard. The best thing about having a flying pokemon was: walking had become a thing of the past. I climbed onto my pokemon, and after ensuring the Larvitar was secure, took flight. I was so afraid of heights, but now that I was actually in the air, all of my fear washed away. It was so nice having the wind blowing through my short blonde tresses. Charizard seemed to enjoy it too.

It only took three hours to fly all the way to Lavender Town. Charizard landed in the center of the town, scaring some of the people a little. I jumped off and recalled him into his pokeball. I pumped my fist into the in determination, "Alright! Mission: catch a ghost pokemon!" I then marched off to the tallest building the small town: Pokemon Tower. It was tall enough to be a skyscraper, really. This was out of place for such a small town. It was also very creepy and a little unnerving. I blinked as I gazed up at the tall, dark building. _Okay, I'm pretty sure I've seen this in a horror movie somewhere. _I shuddered and slowly, nervously began creeping towards the double doors. I pushed the creaking double doors opened and walked inside. The inside of the building was lit by candles, so I could see where I was going. I flipped on my flashlight for good measure, though.

Larvitar was hiding inside of my backpack fearfully, which did not help my lack of courage very much. My legs carried me through the building, shaking like two skinny leaves in a hurricane. "G-ghost p-pokemon…g-ghost p-p-pokemon!" I called quietly, "P-please come out," there was a small crash, causing me to yelp, "Or stay hidden, whatever suits you best." _That Abra is sounding very appealing right now. _I thought as I crept down the different, lavishly decorated corridors. I walked up multiple different staircases before a loud crash caught my attention. "EEK!" I jerked around, finding nothing. I looked around, only to find nothing. All I could see was my shadow, which was being created by the candlelight. I shakily continued on, praying that I would catch one and then evacuate the tower as soon as possible.

My plans, however, were put on hold when I felt something tap my shoulder. I jerked around; nothing was there. The sensation returned. I turned to the other direction; still nothing. I stomped my foot, "COME OUT ALREADY!" Something grabbed my ankle. I jumped and screamed, then looked down. Bright red eyes were gazing up at me; a broad, malicious grin accompanied them. I screamed and jumped away from the eyes, and watched in horror as they pulled away from the floor, revealing the entire creature. It was a dark purple pokemon with bright red eyes and a wide grin; it hard arms and legs, and was round. Spikes protruded from its body. I shakily pulled out my pokédex. _Gengar, the ghost-pokemon. It is the final evolution of Gastly. They enjoy scaring others and playing practical jokes, and often live in the shadows of abandoned buildings. _I closed my fists, and glared at it, "I'm _so _gonna catch you!" I was about to call Charizard, but then the building caught fire. I screamed and sprinted away, desperate to save my own life. It took me a total of four minutes to realize that something was off: there was no heat. I skidded to a stop and found that the fire was gone. My eyebrow twitched. _A prank!? That stupid little ghost! _I stomped back in the direction that Gengar was in. It was gone when I arrived, which further served to further annoy me. I angrily began searching for it, desperate to catch the little ghost type.

I ran up multiple flights of stairs, but it was nowhere in sight. I sighed in irritation and pinched the bridge of my nose. _This is a pain in the butt. _I decided to continue my search, and ran up another flight of stairs. I stopped when I saw something that was out of place. It was a small brown lizard with a bone in its hand, and a skull on its head. _Is that a ghost-type? _I checked my pokédex. _Cubone, a ground-type. They are anti-social, yet constantly lonely at the same time. They often live inside caves. _I placed my pokédex in my pocket. _So what is it doing here? _I crossed the short distance; the Cubone noticed me, and then scurried away as if it were frightened. "Wait!" I quickly gave chase, and ended up running up even more flights of stairs. I came to a stop when I reached the top of the tower. I was surprised by what I found.

The Cubone was there, shaking fearfully. It was scared of the Team Rocket grunts that were standing in the room with an old man beside them; he looked like he was about to wet himself. My eyebrows furrowed. _Team Rocket! Those inconsiderate jerks! _They noticed me, and grinned like piranhas, "Hey! It's that girl. Yo! Come over here," I did as they said and approached them, prepared to call on one of my pokemon. "Hey kid, your wanted by our Boss. Come with us and you won't get hurt." One of the two grunts said.

I sighed, "As if. I'm not going to go with you, no matter what you do."

"Alright, you asked for it!" one was about to call on their pokemon, but they stopped and gazed behind me.

"Young lady! Look out!" the old man cried.

I turned around, and found something odd standing behind me. The creature resembled a Cubone, but it was bigger, stronger, and its skull fit around its head more. The eyes were sharper, too. I quickly checked my pokédex. _Marowak, the ground-type. It is the evolved form of Cubone. They have overcome their grief as a baby, and now are savage and angry. They live in caves. _It was glaring at all of us fiercely. The Marowak drew its hand back, and chucked it bone at us. I ducked, but one of the Rockets was not so lucky. He dropped to the ground like sack of potatoes as soon as the bone hit him square in the face.

"Cubone!" a voice cried. I turned and found the little Cubone in the arms of a third Rocket.

"Hey! Leave it alone!" I cried when I realized that the man was trying to use a switchblade to cut off its skull. I ran at the Rocket and kicked him in the stomach. He dropped Cubone, who I grabbed and embraced protectively, "You're not going to hurt it!"

"You little brat!" he held the switchblade up and prepared to stab me with it.

"No you idiot! The Boss wants her alive!" one of his comrades called.

He grinned maliciously, "Who said she can't lose a leg?" He turned to me, the blade in his hand.

I wrapped my arms protectively around the Cubone, "I don't care what you do to me, just don't hurt Cubone!" I awaited the knife, but it never came. I opened my eyes and looked up; the man was paralyzed. I blinked, "Uh…dude?" There was a loud cackle. I turned toward it, and found Gengar standing behind me with Marowak at its side, "Gengar? Marowak?" They looked calm. Well, Gengar looked like it was having the time of its life, really; but that's beside the point.

"A Gengar! Get rid of it!" one of the Grunts cried.

Marowak glared at them angrily and then chucked its bone at one of them. They ducked, causing the bone to miss. I decided to help them by calling on Eevee, "Eevee, help them!" The brown pokemon nodded and sped at one of the Rockets with a Quick Attack. A Grunt a called on the evolved form of Geodude, Graveler, and sent it at Eevee. It rolled over to her, grabbed her, and slammed her against the wall. The other Rockets were trying to fight Gengar and Marowak.

"Eevee!" I cried. Graveler punched her into the floor, and then used a Mega Kick. My bottom lip trembled as memories of my fight with Giovanni flooded into my mind. "N-no way…Eevee…" I sprinted towards my fallen pokemon and embraced her, feeling the tears running down my cheeks, "I'm sorry Eevee…I let Giovanni hurt you awhile back…and I never apologized! I'm sorry! I'll never let anyone hurt you again, I swear it!" My shoulders shook as I cried, hugging my injured pokemon.

Eevee looked up at me, smiling softly. Her body began to glow a pure white; my eyes widened in surprise, "Eevee?" _Is she…? No way! _She slowly grew until she tall enough that her head could touch my hip. Her light brown fur had become lavender, and the whites of her eyes were dark purple. Her brown irises had become silver. A red gem appeared on her head, and a long skinny tail protruded from her rear; it was split in two like an Ekan's tongue. Long whiskers hung from its cheeks, and the inside of its wide, pointed ears were teal. "Eevee…you…you evolved without a stone? Is that even possible?" I whispered. I pulled out my pokédex. _Espeon, a psychic-type. They are very protective of their trainers, and will do anything to protect them. They can be found in the care of humans and rarely in the wild. Espeon can be obtained through either using a Sun Shard or during the day, depending on the Eevee's love for its trainer. _Eevee's evolution was a sign that she cared about me. I embraced her, smiling.

Espeon purring as she stroked the side of my head. She then tore away and growled at Graveler. I stood up and pointed to it, "Psychic!" I called. Espeon's eyes began to glow a bright blue as she lifted Graveler into the air, and then slammed it against the ground. She continued this attack, and soon the Graveler was knocked unconscious. "Wow," I mused, "Psychic pokemon are practically invincible when not faced with a ghost-type."

Espeon nodded her head in agreement. The Rockets cried out in fear as Gengar and Marowak attacked. I grinned, "Espeon, help them out." She nodded and used another Psychic to send them flying against the wall. The men screamed as the building caught fire, and after regaining themselves they ran down the stairs. I turned to Gengar and Marowak, ready for anything they might dish out.

Instead Marowak looked as though it were beaming at me. It walked up to me and nodded. Then it stooped down to Cubone and embraced it. It took me a second to realize what was happening, "That Marowak is your mother?" I asked. Marowak nodded and rose to her feet. She smiled at me, and then slowly melted away into the darkness.

"Yes, she _was _its mother," The old man said as he crossed the room and scooped the baby Cubone into his arms, "But no longer. Team Rocket killed Cubone's mother a while back.

"I see…" _the same situation as Larvitar. _I thought. "Who are you anyway?" I asked.

"Me?" he gestured to himself, "Oh, I'm the President of Silph Co. Team Rocket captured me several months ago and held me captive here," Now that I noticed it, his nice suit was torn and ragged. "Thank-you for saving me, Young Lady. As a reward for your services, I am going to give you the prototype for a new line of pokeballs that Silph has been working on," He handed me a purple and white ball; "It's a Master Ball. You can catch _any _pokemon without fail, even without weakening it."

I took the ball and placed it in my bag, "Thank-you sir…now we need to get out of here and get you back to Saffron."

Gengar appeared from the floor again, cackling like a mad-pokemon. He grabbed Espeon, the President's hand, and my hand then suddenly I found myself standing outside. It was still daytime. "Uh…did we just teleport?" I asked. Gengar held up its fist towards me. I smiled and punched its fist, "Thanks, buddy." He nodded and laughed. Gengar then teleported away. I smiled down at Espeon, "Now we don't need a ghost-type, because psychic types are immune to psychic attacks." She nodded her head in agreement. I recalled Espeon and called out Charizard, "C'mon Mr. President, we're riding in style!" He and I mounted Charizard, who took off into the air…

After landing in Saffron, the President returned to Silph while I visited the Pokemon Center. Once I was sure we were ready, I headed off to the Gym.

Saffron Gym was a round, silver dome. It was far more normal than all of the Gyms I had come across thus far. I entered through the double doors and allowed the doorman to lead me to the stadium. The stadium was plain and empty; all I could see was a throne, on which Sabrina sat. I waved, "Hey there 'cuz."

She looked at me with a bored expression on her face, "Good afternoon, Bella," she paused, "I am sure that you want your Marsh Badge?" I nodded. She stood up and used her Telekinetic powers to hold a pokeball in the air. It opened, allowing a large yellow pokemon to roam free. It had a long tail and a pink star on its head. _Kadabra, a psychic-type. They enjoy battle more, and require eighteen hours of sleep a day. They live close to humans. Females have a shorter mustache. _I quickly called out Espeon.

"Espeon, use Swift!" Golden stars shot from her mouth and sliced into Kadabra's body. Sabrina seemed to realize the disadvantage.

"Mega Punch." Kadabra brought back its fist and prepared to hit Espeon, but she dodged and delivered a powerful Body Slam attack unto it.

"Agility!" I called. Several Espeon appeared out of nowhere and began running in circles around Kadabra, "Quick Attack!" They converged on it, dealing a ton of damage.

"Mega Kick." Sabrina said calmly. Kadabra kicked Espeon in the jaw, who returned the favor by biting its foot.

"Last Resort." I said. Espeon transformed into a fearsome silver beast and flew at Kadabra, tearing away at the helpless pokemon. It fell to the ground, too wounded to continue. Espeon returned to normal.

Sabrina recalled her pokemon and walked towards me. A small, glinting yellow badge hovered in front of me. I took it and smiled, "You earned it, cousin. You have trained your pokemon well, and you are a master of the psychic-types. They say that psychic pokemon are at their strongest when with a psychic human. I wish you luck, and pray that you shall enter the League."

"Thank-you, Sabrina." My embrace surprised, but soon she returned it.

I could tell from her voice that she was smiling, "Farewell for now, dear cousin." She released me returned to her thrown.

I ran outside with Espeon beside me and pumped my fist into the air excitedly, "WOOT! My fifth badge!" I placed it in the case with the Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, and Rainbow Badge. I put the case inside of my bag and ran off to the Pokemon Center…

**Okay, how many of you expected Bella to catch Gengar? This won't be the last time that that Gengar is in this story. It appears again later on. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank-you for your reviews. Gengar will appear later on again, just not for a while. And I'm not sure when Pikachu will evolve, if at all. I also plan to eventually send Bella to Johto, and possibly Hoenn. Sinnoh has possibilities, but I might not have her go that far. But she might. Anyway, I can't think of anything interesting to happen between that time, so please enjoy the fight between Koga and Bella. So, without further adieu… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 17: Poison **

"_Bitterness is like cancer._

_It eats upon the host._

_But anger is like fire._

_It burns it all clean_."

-Maya Angelou

After my battle with Sabrina, I decided to spend the night in the Pokemon Center. I took a shower the next morning and set off on my quest once again. Of course, I could not just fly to Fuchisa City on Charizard; he did not know where it was. So I was forced to walk and follow the signs. I went ahead to the next Route, which led to a bicycling road. There was a place for walk, though. I took that Route and began making my way to Fuchisa City. Thoughts of past events whirled around in my mind. I had been in a sunken ship, trapped on an island of giant pokemon, hatched an egg, and then kidnapped by Team Rocket for some malicious purpose that I was not even aware of. And to my horror, Gary Oak had to save me. It was embarrassing being rescued by the likes of him…and being kissed. I blushed at the thought of it. Several months ago I had been a simple teenager, living in the quite town of Pallet. Now I was a pokemon trainer with five badges. I felt that it was quite an achievement; especially after all I had been through. _But why does Team Rocket want me? _I wondered. _How am I involved with them? And Mewtwo…what kind of pokemon is that? _

"Hey there babe!" I turned to the voice. There was a group of motorcyclists driving towards me. One of them came to a stop near me, "Wanna go for a ride?"

"No, and don't call me babe." I grumbled.

He reached for me, "Awe come on."

"Stay away from me!" I spat. There was a flash of light, and soon Charizard was standing beside me. He snared at the bikers. They gazed at him in fear. He roared and then released a powerful Flamethrower, frightening the bikers. They drove away as fast they could. "I told them not to," I muttered, "Good job, buddy." He roared in delight, and I recalled him. I stretched my arms and went on down the road, knowing how long the journey to Fuchisa City might take…

It was longer than expected. I ended up camping out for at least three nights; Charizard kept me company those nights. The flame on his tail was useful for keeping warm, plus fire-types were always warm. We battled many strong trainers on the road, and soon I was desperately hoping that the city was around the corner. Relief flooded my heart when I found it, and I sprinted to the Pokemon Center. Fuchisa was not as big as Saffron; it reminded me more of Viridian than anywhere else. That was a relief, seeing as it did not take as long to hunt down the Pokemon Center. I stayed there and allowed my pokemon to rest, and even spent the night before leaving. I went on to the Safari Zone; not to catch pokemon, but to simply enjoy the untainted nature. It was a place near Fuchisa that protected wild pokemon from trainers and poachers alike, so I was allowed to see but not to touch.

While I was there, climbing around through the jungle and large, never-ending fields, I came across what appeared to be a miniature sea. Too small to be an ocean yet too large to be a lake. There, I came across a herd of wild Lapras. I allowed my pokemon to roam freely while I was there, and noticed how my Lapras gazed at the others longingly. It was difficult, but I decided to let her go. I wanted what was best for my pokemon, and I could see that keeping her in captivity would be cruel. She desperately wanted to be with her kind more than anything, so I let her go. I knew that I would need a water-type soon, so I would catch a water pokemon some other way. Now I had room for two more pokemon; Larvitar was my pokemon, but he was never 'caught' in a pokeball, so I could catch two more pokemon without one being sent to Professor Oak. After enjoying the scenery more, I recalled my pokemon and carried Larvitar from the reserve.

Dropping by the Pokemart was next on my list. I bought the necessary provisions and then set off for Fuchisa City Gym. The directions that people had given me led me to the woods, which I found to be odd. I wandered down a forest path, searching for signs of the Gym. I began to lose faith in those who aided me, but that was when I noticed a giant, Japanese-style dojo hidden deep within the trees. _Do people still live in dojos? _I wondered as I wadded through the bushes and briers. I stumbled up to the steps and whipped myself off before entering the Gym through the large gates. I walked to the front door and slid it open; it was empty, and reminded me more of an abandoned home than anything else. I hesitantly stepped inside and cupped my hand around my lips, "Hello?" Nothing. I shrugged and went on into the dojo. I had a feeling that the Gym Leader was somewhere in the building.

I was cautious at first, but I soon dropped my guard. It was not like the tower, so I highly doubted the possibility of Gengar leaping at me from the shadows. Plus, the sun filtered into the building, so I had more than enough light. So I was just lazily wandering around, praying that the Leader was even home. That was when I noticed a peculiar little pokemon. I pulled out my pokédex and checked the data. _Venonat, a bug-type. They can often be found in grassy plains. _It was a round, dark purple fluffy creature with two small feet, bright red, round eyes, pincers, and two long white antennas. It looked at me, squeaked, and then took off running.

"Hey!" I quickly ran after it, wondering whether it was the Gym Leader's pokemon or w wild one. I did not plan on catching it, seeing as it was a bug, but I knew that it would be useful in the long run. I rounded the corner and found Venonat standing near the end of the hall. "Can you take me to the Gym Leader?" I asked as I ran towards it. It did not run in fear like I expected it to; but my advance on the pokemon did not last long. Before I could reach it, smacked into the something as strong as a wall, and successfully injured my nose. "Ow!" _I seem to do that a lot these days. _I glanced up; nothing was there. I blinked and tried to walk again. I did not hurt myself, but something did prevent me from going any further.

I blinked and held up my hand; my palm touched the surface of what seemed to be a solid, yet invisible wall. I stared at it for a second and then sighed in irritation. _Is building a _normal _Gym too much to ask for? I mean really, why would someone need invisible walls? What's the use of that? _I wondered as I pulled away. I decided to go back the way I came, and turned around. I slammed directly into another invisible wall. I back away and glared at it angrily, "Okay, I _know_ that you weren't there a second ago!" Talking to walls was not healthy, but I did not care at the moment. I poked it; yes, the wall was there. I slapped my forehead. _Great. Then I'll just have to go look for a bloody switch. _I began crawling around on the floor, feeling for an invisible switch or something. Everything changed when I pressed against the west wall, which flipped outwards, causing me to fall forwards. I screamed when I nearly fell into the river below me; I grabbed the edge and immediately pulled myself back into the building.

I gasped for air, shaking as I did. My eyebrow twitched, "W-who the heck would set booby traps up in a Gym?" I decided to get as far from the hole in the wall as I could, and backed up so that my back would press against the opposite wall. Bad move. It flipped around, and I soon found myself in another room. _Oh, trap doors now? Jeez. _I thought as I moved. Once, again, bad decision. Something forced me back against the wall; the room spun after smacking the back of my head against the wood. I shook my head and looked from side-to-side. I was being held to the wood with metal throwing stars. "WHAT THE HECK!? WHOSE IN HERE!?" I looked around, frantically trying to find out who attacked me. My questions were answered when I noticed another human being.

She was a woman in her twenties; she had long hair that appeared a dark green, and was tied back. For wore a bright pink ninja outfit. I glared at her, "If this is your idea of a practical joke, then it's not funny. Those stars are really dangerous."

"Why have you come to my home, stranger?" the woman asked.

I sighed, "Are you the Gym Leader?"

"A pokemon trainer, are you?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yes. Are you the Leader?"

"No. I am," A male voice said. I looked to my right. There was a man, in his forties, standing not very far from me. He had short, spiked, dark blue hair and black irises. He wore a black ninja outfit with an orange scarf. "I am Koga Kyo, the Gym Leader of the Fuchisa City Gym. And you are?"

"Bella Vanielle, of Pallet Town. Could you guys please get me down?" He walked up to me and began pulling the stars from my clothes. I pulled away from the wall, and Koga crossed the room so that we were standing opposite of each other, "You desire a Soul Badge, correct?" I nodded, "Then you must earn it," He pulled a pokeball out of his pocket and tossed it, summoning his first pokemon, "Two on two." His first pokemon was a pale lavender, flying bug that resembled a moth. I associated it with the bug-type Venomoth, the evolved form of Venonat.

I called out Growlithe. He was ready for battle, "Sounds fine to me. Flamethrower!" Fire spewed from the fire-type's mouth.

Venomoth dodged the attack. "Gust!" Wind began to pick up in the room. Growlithe endured the attack and quickly used another Flamethrower. It hit, injuring Venomoth greatly. Bugs were weak against fire. "Sleep Powder!"

"Dodge it!" Growlithe avoided the powder, "Take Down!" He knocked the Venomoth to the floor, "Bite!" His fangs bore into the bug-type's body, injuring it even more.

"Acid." Koga said calmly, even though Venomoth was losing. Black liquid shot from the bug-type's mouth and hit Growlithe in the eyes. He howled in pain and leapt away, rubbing at his sore eyes.

"Growlithe!" I called worriedly. He whipped it off and growled viciously at Venomoth, who took flight once more. "Good boy, now use Flamethrower again!" Fire spewed from the canine's mouth and engulfed the bug-type. "One more Take Down!" His last attack left Venomoth unable to battle.

Koga recalled his pokemon calmly and then released the next, a bright blue Golbat. Unlike Zubat, Golbat had eyes, and its mouth was always open. It was far bigger, too. I recalled Growlithe and called on Pikachu next. "Thunder Shock!" I called. Golden electricity shot from his crimson cheeks; they electrified Golbat, who remained firm and strong even afterwards.

"Wing Attack." It wings began to glow silver as it dove at Pikachu. He dodged the attack and used a powerful Swift to knock it away. "Bite." Golbat flew at Pikachu, but it missed him. My Pikachu was as some put, abnormally fast. They had never met a Pikachu that was as agile and fast as mine; that would help give him the advantage over slower pokemon.

"Agility," I called. Multiple Pikachu appeared and circled the Golbat, "Now Quick Attack!" They converged on it; the attack caused Golbat to fall to the ground. "Now another Thunder Shock!" The golden lightning was all that was needed to finish the battle. My pokemon were so much stronger than before. I trained them harder ever since Giovanni defeated me; I would never suffer a defeat by his hands again. My pokemon understood; they too wanted to better themselves so that we could one day defeat the Head of Team Rocket. Charizard and Espeon were a sign that my pokemon, and I, were so much stronger than before.

Koga recalled his injured Golbat and rummaged around in his pocket. He crossed the room and handed me a pink heart. The Soul Badge. I smiled as I placed it in the case with the Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, and Marsh Badge. _That's six. Just two more, and then training, and then the Indigo Plateau. _"A trainer must handle defeat with dignity. Go on and continue to grow, young Bella. Travel safely." Koga said. He turned, meaning that he had no more to say.

I nodded and quickly left the Gym. _Now, which will be my seventh Gym? _I wondered as I ran back to Fuchisa City…

**Not one of my favorite chapters, but it still moves the story along nonetheless. Please review and the next chapter will be up soon…**


	19. Chapter 19

**And now for another chapter. I actually like this one, and it is based on the episode where Ash's Charmeleon evolves. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 18: Prehistoric Terror **

"_Bitterness is like cancer._

_It eats upon the host._

_But anger is like fire._

_It burns it all clean_."

-Maya Angelou

After my battle in Fuchisa City, I began searching for clues on another Gym. I spent a few days training and searching, until a clue finally bounded up to me. I was in the Pokemon Center when I heard someone mention "Cinnabar Island". I knew that place; it was past Pallet Town. I decided to reach my new destination by the best kind of travel: air. I mounted Charizard, and he kicked off into the sky…

Days seemed to pass by as Charizard and I traveled, searching for Pallet. Soon the vibrant forests were replaced the desert and canyons. Charizard did not land again until I found what appeared to be a dig sight. "Go down there." I said. He roared and flew to the ground. His wings flapped and kicked up dust as he landed on the ground. I jumped off of his back and onto the hard ground. People surrounded us, prepared to do for fossils and the like.

"Uh, can I talk to the one in charge here?" I called.

"Bella?" a familiar voice asked. I turned around, and found Ash, Brock, Misty, and Ash's Pikachu standing behind me.

I waved at them, "Hey guys, how're you doing?"

"Fine. You?" Misty asked.

"Great." I smiled.

Ash was gazing at my Charizard, "Charmeleon evolved?"

I nodded, "Yeah. It doesn't take long for a Charmeleon to evolve." I replied.

Misty laughed, "Too bad Ash's Charmeleon won't listen to him."

"Really?" I asked, "'Cause Charizard is my best friend. Said fire-type roared in agreement. He leaned down so that I could stroke his orange head.

Ash looked around curiously, "Where are we, anyway?" He asked.

"Can't you figure anything out on your own?"

My eyebrow twitched. _You're kidding me. _I slowly turned to face who I hoped to be a mirage. No such luck. The famous Gary Oak was standing near me, smirking that irritating smirk of his. I noticed his change in attire. He wore a pair of brown pants, dark brown boots, and white shirt that buttoned closed. A dark brown jacket was added to outfit, with a matching hat. He was holding a pick and wearing a messenger bag around his shoulders. "Ash, you're so late," he said in his usual arrogant tone, "but you're as clueless as ever."

"Gary? Why are you dressed like that?" the raven-haired boy asked.

Gary laughed, "What? Never heard of the Fossil Rush? Jeez, even a nerd like you should know about that."

"He's not a _nerd_, Gary," I corrected, "He's a dork. Sheesh, at least Ash isn't stupid like _you_."

Ash's eyebrow twitched, "I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or compliment."

"_Stupid_?" Gary repeated.

"Yes, that's you." I grinned.

Gary grinned like a vicious piranha, "Stupid heh? Were you thinking that after I _kissed _you?" My stomach dropped to my feet. The red/brown haired boy slowly crept up to me and contorted his face into a malicious grin, "Or do you need another one?"

"Another? Kiss?" Brock, Misty, and Ash asked simultaneously.

I glared at the fourteen-year-old fiercely, "LIES! He speaks lies! Gary _never _kissed me!"

"Oh really? Well maybe _this _will refresh your memory." He slowly walked up to me. I tried to back away, but Gary was too fast. I was about to slap him, but he caught my arms and leaned forward. He stopped directly in front of my neck.

"If you kiss me, I'll have Charizard burn your lips off," I growled through clenched teeth. I looked at my starter. He yawned and curled up on the ground, staring at me with a bored expression, "Hey! Aren't you going to help me?" He shook his head, "You traitor!!!"

"Don't worry; I won't kiss your lips," Gary chuckled, "But I will do this." He reached up and slid the collar of my black undershirt down, and then planted his lips on my neck. My body froze, and I just stood there, trembling. After a few seconds, Gary pulled away from me a released my hands. There was a small red mark on my neck; it was a hicky. I closed my fist and punched Gary in the jaw.

"You jerk! How _dare _you do that!?" Brock ran up to me and restrained me from slaughtering the boy with his own pick.

I struggled against his grip, "I oughta kick your ass all the way to Sinnoh! You jerk! You…you…you…" my eyebrow twitched, "You…STUPIDHEAD!!!"

Gary smirked, "Stupidhead? Is that the best you can come up with?"

My face was red, "SHUT-IT!" Brock released me, and my hand flew up to my neck. _How could he? How could he kiss me without my permission? And to leave a hicky…it's despicable! And…and… _My blush was growing even worse.

"Well the dig is starting, so I'll be on way now," Gary smiled, "See'ya later, Bella-dearest." He turned and walked away with his horde of cheerleaders behind him.

"You better run!" I called after his retreating form. I turned to Charizard, who seemed to have been restraining himself from laughing. "Oh shut-it." I turned and stomped away. Charizard stood up and followed me, as did Ash, Brock, and Misty, along with Pikachu. I was interested in the dig, even though I already had a fossil from Mt. Moon. We looked around for a few hours before coming to a stop, not quite sure what to do.

"Hmm…I don't like the idea of digging fossils up." Brock muttered.

"But after thousands of years, I'm sure they'd like a breath of fresh air." Misty joked.

I nodded, "But it's like desecrating a natural grave, ya'know?"

Brock nodded in agreement, "By the way Bella, how's Larvitar?"

"Hm? Oh, he's been taking a nap in my backpack for a few hours." I unzipped it and pulled the sleeping pokemon out. He continued to snooze, unaware of the other's presence. I cradled the infant in my arms.

Brock smiled, "You'd make a great pokemon breeder. You've been taking good care of it."

I smiled, "Thanks," That was when Larvitar woke. He looked up, and seemed to have just noticed the others. He jumped out of my arms and ran away, crying in fear, "Larvitar!" I called. Ash, Pikachu, Charizard, and I all chased after the frightful ground-type. We weaved in and out of the rocks, searching desperately for the baby. We stopped when we noticed a familiar pair of Rockets. Jessie, James, and Meowth were not far off. I realized that they had Larvitar.

"Larvitar!" I called. He looked at me, and held out his arms to me, whimpering in fear. "That's _my_ pokemon! Give him back!" Charizard roared angrily.

"U-uh Bella," I looked at him, "Look."

I followed his finger until I saw what he was gesturing to. There was a ton of dynamite, which was about to go off. My eyebrow twitched. "CHARIZARD! DON'T DO IT!!!" He stopped before he could release the fire-based attack, "Ash! Use Squirtle to turn it off!!"

"I know!" He quickly called out Squirtle, "Get rid of the flame!" The water-type nodded and ran towards the dynamite.

"Arbok!" Jessie called. A large, dark purple cobra appeared.

James called on the evolved form of his pokemon, "Wheezing!"

"Stop them!" Meowth cried. All ten of us were sprinting towards the dynamite. Some of us wanted to end the flame, while the others wanted to stop us. All of us tripped and landed in a large group on the ground. I looked up and found that the fuse was almost gone. All of us screamed and began struggling to stand, but to no avail. Pikachu, Larvitar, and Charizard managed to break free.

"Pikachu!!!" then electric-typed used Thunder Shock on the fuse. Bad move. All of us froze in mid movement. To my horror, there was an explosion, which caused all of us to fall underground. I remembered screaming and blacking out…

My head throbbed with pain. My eyes opened, and I slowly sat up. I glanced around. I was in a darkened cave, with very little light. Ash, Pikachu, James, Jessie, Meowth, Arbok, and Wheezing were there. "You guys!" I called.

Ash jumped up, "Where am I? Huh?"

"Underground." I grumbled. We appeared to be caved in.

"What!?" he cried.

"The dynamite went off." I continued flatly.

Jessie and James were glaring at us, "Are you serious?" she asked. I nodded.

"NO! What're we going to do!?" James chuckled. Jessie smiled, "Do you have a plan?"

He took a deep breath, "I've come to the conclusion that…we're doomed." Both Jessie and I punched him in the back of the head.

"Idiot." We said in unison.

I sighed and folded my arms over my chest, "So how're we gonna get out of this?" For some reason, I was not bothered by the fact that I was trapped underground and could possibly die. Two near-death experiences must have had something to do with that. Nearly dying in a sunken ship. Almost being drowned to death by a horde of enraged Gyarados. Being attacked by giant robot pokemon. And then being pulled out of a broken window by a brunette idiot. Okay, so maybe that was _four _near death experiences; all the more reason to be used to them. Of course I could count the incident when I almost drowned in the ocean, and was rescued by a Lugia. Alright, that made five. I really needed to be more careful in the future. I turned to the others, and found them all gazing at me in pure terror.

I blinked and placed my hands on my hips, "Okay, I know that I'm ugly, but I can't be _that _bad." They shook their heads and pointed _behind _me. I turned to where their fingers gestured, and soon joined them near the cave wall. In the darkness, I could see several pairs of glowing red eyes. _Oh great, now something else wants to eat me! Am I even edible? On second that…I'd prefer it if someone _didn't _answer that. _I quickly pulled out my pokédex and read the information.

One was a small, bright blue snail with a tan shell and large eyes. Its name was Omanyte. There was a large bright blue snail with the same shell, only it had thorns, tentacles, and a mouth. It was called Omastar. The third was a black bug with golden legs and a brown shell on its back, and bright red irises. It was a Kabuto. And last was the tallest; it was a tall, brown bug-like creature with long knives for hands. It was called Kabutops. "B-but I thought these pokemon were extinct." I stammered fearfully.

"A-apparently n-not." Ash replied in the same tone.

Jessie, Meowth, and James released a loud cheer, "WOO! Now we can start our own talk show! We'll be rich!" They chanted together.

I gave them a side-ways glance, "I don't think those pokemon are as thrilled as you are."

"Well who cares?" Jessie asked, "And they don't look mad, they just look sleepy."

"Maybe the explosion woke them up?" James suggested.

Meowth backed away, "Some alarm clock."

Jessie and James threw their pokeballs, but Kabutops knocked them back; they slammed into poor Meowth like dodge balls. "Then we'll have to battle them!" Ash said as he called out Charmeleon, "Use your…eh?" Instead of obeying like mine, the fire-type curled up for a nap. "Eh…he _still _won't obey me." The raven-haired boy looked crestfallen.

The pokemon released a battle roar and charged at us. We screamed and sprinted away. Due to the dead end, we were forced to run in a different direction. This pattern repeated itself until we were running in circles around the room. "LEAVE US ALONE!!!" I screamed as I sprinted along with Team Rocket, Ash, and Pikachu. Charizard and Larvitar were safe above us. They stopped chasing us when Arbok and Wheezing went to fight, which ended with them being beaten easily. Pikachu attempted, but his attacks were useless. Charmeleon could care less. Suddenly, the prehistoric pokemon ran away.

"Why'd they leave?" Ash asked.

"Dunno." I replied.

"A miracle!" Jessie and James sang.

Meowth turned around, "Uh guys, I tink I here someth'in else."

Without warning, a large, lavender dragon flew from the darkness. It landed on a nearby rock, and began roaring at us. My pokédex said that it was an Aerodactyl. "What's a carnivore?" Ash asked.

"It means that we're on the menu!" I exclaimed, feeling Butterfree fluttering in my stomach.

To our immense relief, Charmeleon stepped up to the playing field. "Thanks Charmeleon!" Ash called as it prepared for battle. _Here we go. _I thought eagerly. My hopes were dashed when it was knocked it with one hit, "First round knockout." Ash mumbled. The Aerodactyl roared and leapt into the air, chasing us around the room. I threw my arms up and ran, screaming like a little girl. I skidded to a stop when I heard Brock and Misty calling down to us.

"Hurry you guys!" Ash called. He cried out when Aerodactyl flew down and captured him with its clawed foot. I grabbed its leg to try and help the boy, but it only soared into the air with both of us with it. It burst through the hole in the cave and took flight in the air. I held onto its leg for dear life; to my relief it landed on the rock. But that meant that it wanted to eat us. It looked down at us and roared hungrily.

Ash and I gulped, "HELP!!!" We screamed in unison. A glowing light caught our attention. We both looked to the ground; Ash's Charmeleon was throwing a hissy fit. It began to glow white, and it immediately evolved into a Charizard. "Charizard!" the boy called. My Charizard dove at us, angrily roaring at Aerodactyl. The lavender dinosaur took off into the air, only with me in its other set of talons. I began screaming and kicking as the two Charizards chased after us.

"Charizard!" Ash called dreamily, "I thought you didn't want me to be your trainer, but I was wrong! You evolved to…" he was corrected when Charizard purposely burned him. "Never mind." He groaned.

I rolled my eyes. _Smooth Ash. Real smooth. _All hope seemed to be lost, seeing as neither Charizard could keep up with Aerodactyl. I snapped to attention when a strange song filled the air. "What is that?" A small roar caused me to look up. Aerodactyl was falling asleep.

"Stay awake Aerodactyl!" Ash cried, but both he and I slowly began to drift off. Before dozing off, I could remember being dropped and landing on something's back. That something hit the ground before passing out, with me soon following…

I awoke several hours lying on top of my Charizard's back. Gary was lying on the ground not far off, slowly waking from his own sleep. Ash woke, and was forced to recall his disobedient pokemon. Larvitar and Charizard were relieved to see that I was unharmed. I embraced both of them, and waited for everyone else to wake.

Office Jenny climbed onto a stepping stole and blew her whistle, "Most of you claim to have seen an Aerodactyl here. But I can assure you that it was a trick created by Jigglypuff's song. I must also announce that due to the danger, no more digging shall be permitted."

I rubbed my arms and pulled my hand away; I gasped when I found black ink on the back of my hand. "Heh?" I looked at Gary, and was about to ask about my face, but I stopped in mid-sentence. He had black markings on his face, too. I tried to stifle my laughter.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"N-nothing!" I snickered. I pulled a white handkerchief out of my pocket and washed the marker off of my face.

Gary looked thoughtful, "That didn't seem like a dream."

"Gary is the best! Gary beats the wrest!" his cheerleaders called.

He nodded, "Guess they're right."

My eyebrow twitched, "Idiot," I looked down. Larvitar was sitting by my feet. He looked bored and not as childlike as before. It was months ago when he hatched. _Guess its time to start breaking him in. _"Hey Larvitar," I said. He looked up at me, "Do you want to try riding in a pokeball?" He nodded, and looked almost eager. I pulled out an empty pokeball and tapped it on his head. It opened and absorbed Larvitar. It clicked immediately, "Good boy." I said as I placed the kanji for 'earth' on it. I placed the pokeball on my belt. I found Ash, Brock, and Misty in all of the chaos. I could see knowing looks on their faces. _What're they hiding? I already know that Aerodactyl wasn't a dream. _"I need to go. See you guys on Cinnabar Island." I waved and walked away.

I walked off to a spot to call out Charizard. I stopped when I tripped over something and fell on my nose. I sat up and looked down; there was a black and blue egg lying on the ground. I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Another one? _I shrugged and scooped the egg into my backpack. _Hatched one, and I can hatch another. _I thought as I called out and mounted Charizard. He took off into the sky and flew away from the dig…

**I liked this chapter more. And yes, Bella has been given another egg. However, this one won't hatch for a very long time. Larvitar is going to start appearing in battles soon. Please review and I will update soon… **


	20. Chapter 20

**Bella's time in Kanto is coming to a close. Hopefully, she will go out with a bang. The most exciting time in the Kanto region will be coming up soon. Now to earn her next badge. I will also say this: I'm a fast typer. This will be her hardest battle yet…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 19: Inside the Fire **

"_Marrying for love maybe risky,_

_But it is so honest that God can't help_

_But smile on it_."

-Josh Billings

Days past as Charizard soared over the hot desert. We took a break to camp out by night, and then traveled by day. Soon, the lush fields and mountainous regions began to appear. Cerulean City passed beneath us, then Mt. Moon, then Pewter City, and soon Viridian Forest. Viridian City was next. I remembered the Gym there, but I decided to save that for last. We soared over Route One and eventually over my hometown: Pallet Town. Eventually, we were forced to drop by the port that was several miles away from Pallet. My starter was worn out, so I recalled him and decided to take a boat. I paid money to get on and quickly headed for the boat. I stopped when I noticed a familiar pokemon. I climbed down the edge of the water and found an injured white water-type pokemon. Ut was a Seel.

"It's injured." I gasped. I grabbed a pokeball and tapped the hurt pokemon. The ball clicked immediately, and I sped onto the boat. _I'll take it to a Pokemon Center. _I waited for the boat to set sail before taking a quick tour around the boat. It was not as fancy as the St. Anne, but it was better than most boats I had seen. There were a lot of people on the boat; I guessed that they were trainers. I enjoyed the feel of the wind in my hair and the smell of the saltwater as we sailed to Cinnabar Island. I was relieved to find a mini Pokemon Center on the boat; there I healed my injured and tired pokemon. Nurse Joy promised me that Seel would recover nicely. Once they were OK, I went ahead and released a few of them. Espeon ran outside and curled up, soaking in the delicious rays of sunlight. Pikachu climbed onto my shoulder so that he could see everything from a higher view. Larvitar refused to come out, seeing as he disliked water. Seel was ecstatic about being able to swim in the pool.

Growlithe ran off to go run around and enjoy the exercise. Charizard was too big to be on the boat. I went to the pool and splashed some water at Seel; she laughed and attempted to do the same to me. I dodged, luckily. "Enjoying your time?" a familiar voice asked. I looked up and found Gary Oak lounging on a white chair, smirking down at me. I grinned when I saw him. He was wearing a pair of bright red shorty-shorts and a baggy pink t-shirt that buttoned closed with blue palm trees on it.

"Looking a little _fruity _today, aren't we Gary?" I said teasingly. He blushed, "Coming out of the closet?"

"No!" he spat back. He laid back and grinned, "I'm going to take a break from training in Cinnabar Island. And there is nothing wrong with a boy wearing pink."

"Yeah!" Gary's cheerleaders agreed in annoyingly, high-pitched voices.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh yes. Because only _real _men wear pink," I replied sarcastically. I paused when he said 'taking a break', "Your wasting your time."

"I already have enough badges," he yawned, "More than enough, really."

I stood up and stretched my arms above my head, "Whatever, Fruitcake."

He glared at me, "Stop calling me that!"

"Guys don't wear shorty-shorts anymore. But girls do," I said teasingly, "Is this a message, Little Gary?"

"No!" he barked. His anger was replaced with a grin, "Or do I need to use your own weakness against you?"

I glared at him, "You wouldn't!"

"I would." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I bet all of them are pokemon trainers." Both of us turned to see a familiar face. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were not far off.

Gary laughed, "Trainers? Man Ash, your as clueless as ever," _Ash is on this boat? _I wondered. "Pokemon trainers haven't been to Cinnabar Island since my grandfather's days as a trainer. These people are all _tourists_."

"What!?" Ash and I cried simultaneously.

He chuckled, "'Sides, I don't need anymore badges. I need to work on my tan for the summer."

His cheerleaders smiled, "He's so cool!"

I looked at them, "Aren't you girls a little old for Gary? Or does he have a thing for old hags now?" They all glared at me; Gary looked neutral to the situation. I think he agreed with me.

"Oh yeah? Well a real trainer never takes a break!" Ash said with confidence, "So while your tanning, _I'll _be getting my next badge!"

"Cinnabar Island doesn't even have a Gym." Gary smirked as he spoke.

"Gary knows it all." The cheerleaders sang. I wanted to slap them.

My fists clenched, "It. Doesn't. Have. A. Gym?" I asked slowly. _Great! Now I have to go back to Viridian, and then I need to look for another Gym. Just great! Or maybe Gary is lying…? _

He nodded, "That's right."

I sighed in irritation and walked off to sit somewhere near the edge of the boat. Pikachu, Espeon, and Growlithe joined me there. Seel was playing volleyball with some tourists. "What do you guys think?" I asked, "Should we take a break?"

"Pika be." My yellow rodent nodded.

"Really?" I asked lazily. I looked at the others, "What do _you _two think?" They nodded. I sighed, "Okay. You win. I guess I've been pushing myself too hard." I spent the rest of the boat ride waiting to arrive at the island. Once I was there, I recalled Growlithe, Espeon, and Seel. Pikachu rode off of the boat on my shoulder. As soon as I arrived at the island, I realized that booking a room was key. I went ahead and found a nice Inn to stay at. I booked a room and then left to go check out the town. It was nice being able to kick back and relax, buying some souvenirs and just enjoying the moment for a change. Soon night fell, and I returned to the hotel. There they gave me a white kimono with a baggy red jacket to wear to dinner. I slipped it on and went to wear the food was.

The Inn was oriental style, so I was supposed to walk around without shoes. I entered the room; I would be sitting on a matt in front of the table. I sat down and made myself comfortable. My pokemon were taking a nap in our room. I sat back and admired the scenery. Two people were dressed like a Hitmonlee and an Electabuzz. They were playing some music. The door opened, and more customers filed in. I looked towards the door; my heart stopped immediately. A familiar group of preppy girls sat down around me. _Don't tell me…! _And then Gary Oak entered the room; he and his cheerleaders were wearing the same outfit as me. I felt sick.

"Hey there Bells," he greeted, "Looks like you've got good taste."

I looked away, "Sure. Whatever." It was not long before they began to serve us the appetizer. The table was covered in delicious food. Everyone began eating, and so did I. I was busy eating when I heard a strange noise. Gary rose from his seat and opened the doors.

"Hey! It's the Sucker Squad!" he announced. I glanced past him and found Ash and his friends. "So, what hotel you stay'in in?"

"We're camping out!" Ash replied proudly.

Gary chuckled, "Too bad you don't have a fix like this," he gestured into the room. I could tell that the others were jealous. I felt bad for them, "And this is just the appetizer!" He folded his arms over his chest and appeared thoughtful, "Say, here's an idea. I'll give you my left overs in a doggy bag if you spin around three times and say 'Pikachu'." He laughed.

"No way!" Ash shouted. His stomach growled.

"You should listen to your stomach!" the brunette smirked. Pikachu was about to give, but Ash would not let him, "Even you pokemon feel sorry for you! I've never seen something so pathetic!"

"Then you should look in a mirror!" Misty hissed.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Enough!" They all looked at me. I grabbed a plate of food and walked over to the others, "Here." They gratefully took it. I turned to Gary and glared at him, "You should be ashamed of yourself! Your so immature!"

I walked away from him, "Where're _you _going?" he asked angrily.

"I'm leaving! I refuse to stay in the same building as _you_." I stepped out of the door and began walking towards my room. Footsteps from behind caused me to turn around.

Gary ran up to me and stopped, "Bella!" he whined.

"No! I hate it when teenagers acted like ten-year-olds!" I tried to turn away, but he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to face him. I glared at him; that's when I noticed the bruise on his jaw. I blinked, "Where'd that come from?"

"You did that at the dig," he growled. _Wow. After several days its still there? I don't know my own strength. _"And if you plan to go, then take this." He moved the collar of my kimono and pressed his lips to my neck again. I froze and shivered immediately.

_Get. Off. _I glanced inside of my room; Charizard was starring at us, grinning. _Traitor. _Gary pulled away, leaving another hicky. I slapped him across the face and stopped off; he chuckled as I hid in my bedroom. I changed into my normal clothes, recalled my pokemon, packed my stuff, and then returned the extra clothes. I then left the hotel and joined Ash and his friends. "Are you sure you want to leave?" Misty asked.

I nodded, "Gary's annoying anyway. So you guys are camping out?" They nodded, "Where to?" Horrified expression appeared on their faces. "What?" I turned around. There was a Jigglypuff in the room. "What's wrong?" They never answered. Instead, they grabbed my hands and sprinted away from the hotel as fast as they could…

I gasped for breath after we came to a stop at a playground. "That was a close one," Ash groaned, "Jigglypuff almost got us." I decided not to ask.

"Ash," Brock looked at him, "What about that old man's card?"

Ash pulled out a card, "Maybe they're directions to his hotel?"

Brock read it aloud, "If you look near the swing, you'll see my hands. Or at least my face."

"What does that mean?" Ash asked.

"Why are riddles even the directions?" I asked.

Misty gestured to a clock, "See. _Hands _and the _face_. He means a clock."

_That does make sense. _A man wearing a baggy, bright red shirt and pants appeared from the dark. He wore sunglasses and a brown, long wig. "Once again, Misty discovered the answer. As a reward, you can stay here tonight."

"Woo! Your riddles might be stupid, but the prizes rock!" Ash cheered.

The man's eyebrow twitched, "I'm not sure whether that's a compliment or an insult." The old man lead us all the way to his hotel. It was nice enough; I did not waste any time passing out on the floor…

I awoke the next morning to a delicious breakfast. The old man was there, but Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were gone. "Where'd they go?" I asked groggily.

"They left a few hours ago. Omelet?" he asked. I nodded and accepted the food.

I ate a few times before asking my question, "Do you know where the Cinnabar Gym went?"

"Hmmm…" he looked thoughtful, "How about you try: a place where a firefighter could never win."

I thought about it for a few minutes. _Why can't he just tell me? A firefighter can never win…well, there's only one source on this earth powerful enough to defeat every firefighter combined. _"A volcano?"

He chuckled, "Good job. Your smart like that other girl, Misty. Follow me." I collected my stuff and ran out the door. We walked all the way to the back, where the hot springs were. There was a gap in the rock wall. I followed him inside. The temperature continued to rise until I found myself standing in a stadium surrounded by lava.

I blinked, "Your kidding…your…you're the Gym Leader!" I pointed at him.

The man crossed the room and smiled. He ripped off his wig and glasses, revealing a slightly bald head and gray hair, "Yes! I am! I am Blaine Katsura, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island! I rely on ground and fire types. And if you want to challenge me, then choose your first pokemon! Its three on three, so choose wisely." He pulled a pokeball out and tossed it into the air. A beautiful, tall fox-like creature with blonde fur, red eyes, and nine tails appeared. It was the evolved form of Vulpix: Ninetails.

I grabbed a pokeball off of my belt and tossed it up. Seel appeared on the ground and clapped her feet together.

"A water-type, how predictable!" Blaine laughed.

"Water Gun!" I called. Water spurt from Seel's mouth and at Ninetails. It dodged her attack, and used a Take Down on her. "Dodge! Another Water Gun!"

"Evade! Fire Spin!" Fire spewed from its mouth and swirled around Seel. I knew that it would not do very much damage. I was wrong. Seel was unconscious when the fire vanished.

"But…how…?" I gaped at my pokemon. I ran to her and embraced her, "Return." I recalled her into her pokeball.

"It takes knowledge and skill to be a true pokemon trainer." Blaine laughed as he recalled his Ninetails. His next pokemon was a Rhydon.

I called out Espeon, "Psychic!" Her eyes began to glow as she captured Rhydon with her mind. She lifted it up and slammed it against the ground, and then repeated the action. "Rhydon is useless against an psychic-type." I grinned.

Blaine's eyes narrowed, "Actually, your right," Once he was sure that Rhydon had enough, he recalled it. "C'mon!" His next pokemon rose from the lava. It was like red and yellow duck mixed with a dinosaur. My pokédex said that it was a Magmar. I recalled Espeon, and then summoned Charizard.

"Fire Blast!" Blaine ordered. A kanji made of fire was shot from its hands. Charizard dodged the attack.

"Slash!" He flew at Magmar and sliced one of its arms open, "Now Flamethrower!" Fire shot from his mouth. Magmar blocked the attack and attempted a Mega Punch. Charizard blocked and then used Tail Whip.

"Your Charizard is more obedient than that kid's," Blaine mused, "Obviously, they shows that you and Charizard have a strong bond. But that won't be enough. Mega Punch!"

It landed a powerful punch on Charizard's cheek, and knocked him away. "Wing Attack!" Charizard's wings began to glow white as he flew at Magmar. Magmar dodged the attack, "Slash!" He jerked around and sliced into the fire-type's side.

"Rock Throw!" Blaine called. Magmar began grabbing rocks and chucking them at Charizard. He blocked the stones, and released another Flamethrower. "Fire Blast!"

Charizard was knocked back by the attacks, but he recovered quickly, "Dragon Rage!" Charizard opened his mouth, and released a powerful ball of fire that sent Magmar spiraling into the wall. There was a loud crash as it landed, and rocks fell on it. Charizard and Magmar began exchanging blows fiercely; both determined to beat the other. The Gym was being torn apart by their battle.

"Metal Claw!"

"Block! Fire Blast!"

"Wing Attack!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Tail Whip!"

"Rock Throw!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Mega Punch!"

"Seismic Toss!"

"Fire Blast!"

The list of attacks went on and on. Soon, both of our pokemon were beginning to tire. In one more hit, Charizard would lose. "DRAGON RAGE!!!" I called desperately.

"FIRE BLAST!!!" was Blaine's command. Both of our pokemon released their attacks at once; they hit at the same time. They both stood there, shaking badly. Charizard leaned; I held my breath. But it was Magmar that fell.

Charizard turned and limped to me. I felt guilty for pushing him so hard, "You deserve a good rest, buddy. You were great out there!" I hugged his neck, and then he collapsed behind me.

"That's one tough Charizard you got there," Blaine grinned as Magmar went to hide in the lava, "I'm impressed. But now you need to defeat Ninetails." He summoned his pokemon.

I quickly called on Espeon, "Use Psychic!" She used the attack, and it only took a few minutes to knock Ninetails out. I embraced my pokemon and recalled her.

Blaine recalled Ninetails and walked to me. He handed me a red badge that was shapped like a flame, "Good job, kiddo. You've shown true skill as a trainer, I hope you make it to the Indigo Plateau."

"Thanks. I need one badge to qualify." I blasted the Volcano Badge in the case with the: Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Marsh Badge, and the Soul Badge. _Seven badges. I only need one more. _I recalled Charizard and then said goodbye before running off to the Pokemon Center…

My pokemon enjoyed eating lunch after another fabulous victory. We were forced to stop when the island began to shake. I recalled my pokemon and quickly returned to the volcano. I was surprised to see that the inside was frozen solid. Blaine, Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu were in there with Team Rocket. Suddenly, parts of the room began to explode, "What's happening!?" I cried.

"Team Rocket happened!" Brock replied.

I looked around and nodded. It was obvious. "How is it falling apart?" Ash asked.

I sighed, "You don't know much about science, do you? Team Rocket froze the walls, but its hot enough that the ice melts, and then the water seeps into the cracks. Well, from what I can see, Team Rocket kept repeating the process over and over. And now the volcano is spazing out!" Lava began to flow rapidly.

"Well what do we do!?" Misty cried.

"We need fire pokemon to throw the rocks and create a dam!" Blaine replied.

"Fire pokemon? Alright!" I grabbed two pokeballs and called on Growlithe and Charizard, "Help create a blockade!" They nodded and went to aid Magmar. They could not move fast enough, and soon the volcano would explode. Then we would all die. Ash tried his Charizard, but it refused to help. I was about to give up, when Charizard finally stepped up.

"Yes, Charizard!" Ash cheered.

Blaine smiled, "Good. Four pokemon are better than one."

Brock summoned Onix and Geodude to help, while Misty and I called in Seel, Starmie, and Staryu to keep them cool. Our pokemon began to work rapidly to save the town from a fiery death. Soon, the dam was built, and the volcano calmed. "Thanks Ash. Maybe I can give you…"

"My Volcano Badge?"

"No! You can battle me again for it, though!" Blaine shouted.

I sighed and recalled all of my pokemon but Charizard, "Your welcome you guys. But I need to go. Good luck, Ash." The raven-haired boy nodded. My starter and I left the Gym. Instead of traveling by boat, Charizard decided to fly me back to Viridian City…

**And now for her last badge. Will Bella come face-to-face with Mewtwo? Find out in the next chapter. Please review and I will update soon…**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the break. I felt sick for the past two days; still am, but I feel better. Plus, my sister wanted on. Well, I am back now. Time for Bella to get her final badge…or will she? **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 20: Earth **

"_A true friend never gets in your_

_way unless your going down_."

-Arnold H. Glasow

Charizard soared over the ocean; the water shimmered gold as the sun slowly fell into darkness. Two hours past and soon Pallet Town passed below. I did not plan on returning to my hometown until I had obtained my eighth badge. The fire-type flew over Route One and soon we landed in front of the Pokemon Center in Viridian City. I recalled Charizard and dropped in. Nurse Joy gladly took my pokemon to the back so that they could rest. I rented a room and collapsed onto a chair in the lobby, waiting for dinner to be served. While waiting, the phone began to ring. Nurse Joy did not appear to notice. I shrugged and crossed the room to answer it myself. My sister's face appeared on the screen after I said, "Hello?"

"_Bella! How're you doing? Mom's been pretty worried. Give up yet?_" Irina asked jokingly.

I rolled my eyes, "No. In fact, I just got my _seventh_ badge." I showed the case to her, displaying the seven badges proudly.

A glimmer of surprise flashed in her eyes, then melted away, "_Cool. I just evolved Eevee into a Glaceon. What kind of pokemon do you have?_"

"Charizard, Pikachu, Growlithe, Seel, Larvitar, and Espeon." I replied.

Irina gaped, "_E-Espeon!? How did you get that one? I can't find a Sun Shard anywhere!_"

I hesitated to answer, "I didn't use a stone."

"_Then how? Eevee can't evolve without a stone._" She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Espeon evolved on her own during the day. My pokédex said that some Eevee have been to evolve into Espeon, Umbreon, or Leafeon depending on the time of day, area, and their trust and love for their trainer," I paused, "Besides…isn't using a stone on a pokemon forcing evolution on them?"

"_Not really. If your pokemon doesn't want to evolve, then whatever. But most trainers don't pay attention to that. All of my Eevees did want to evolve,_" Irina explained. "_And they get better when you evolve them. You should consider using a Thunder Stone on Pikachu and a Fire Stone on Growlithe before you fight the eighth Gym Leader. I heard from Mom that the Viridian Gym is open again; no-one has beaten the Leader yet._"

I nodded. _Nobody has beaten the Leader yet. Viridian Gym is open. My pokemon will be stronger if they evolve… _It felt wrong to do it, but I would consult Growlithe and Pikachu first. When Nurse Joy returned, I asked for my pokemon. She gave them to me, and I called out Pikachu and Growlithe. I pulled both the Thunder and Fire Stones out of my backpack and turned to them, "Hey guys. Have a nice rest?" Growlithe nodded.

Pikachu gave me a thumbs up, "Pika."

"Good," I smiled, "Hey…I was wondering if you two wanted to evolve?" They looked surprised, and then thoughtful. Growlithe soon nodded. Pikachu shook his head, "Are you sure? Once you evolve, you can't go back." The canine nodded his head once more. I sighed and bit my lip as I held the Fire Stone out to him. Growlithe's body shimmered white, and slowly he began to grow until he was big enough to carry two adult men on his back. He stopped, and before me stood a powerful pokemon. His bushy peach tail was longer; long, bushy peach fur covered the ankles of his back feet. The orange fur that was stripped with black was a darker shade. His stomach was fluffy and peach-colored, as was the rest of his. He smiled down at me; a proud shine flared to life in his dark brown irises. _Arcanine, the fire-type. They are proud, loyal, and wise pokemon. They live near volcanoes and in grassy plains. _

I hugged Arcanine as he leaned down and licked my cheek. I then looked down at Pikachu, "Are you sure?" He nodded. The electric-type was not ready to evolve yet. I liked him better in this form, anyway. I recalled my pokemon and sat down as dinner was served. I ate quietly, and then ran upstairs to prepare for bed…

_Who am I…? _

_Where am I…? _

_I am ready…to be…_

Where…am I? This…this isn't the same…was everything before just a dream? Why…

_My body shivered; it felt as though I were curled in a ball, floating in cold water. My eyes opened slowly, and I wearily glanced around. Deep orange liquid surrounded me; I appeared to be floating in a wide, tall tube. Surprise flooded my heart. The feeling was strange. It was not my surprise; more like the surprise of a familiar stranger. Once more, I did not have any control over my own body or thoughts. Two voices echoed in my head; one was my own, and then the other was a male. I could also hear the voices of other people. People who sounded familiar, yet distant to me. "Doctor!" a female called._

"_What?" a male asked. _

"_Look at this! It's brainwaves. They're surging!" A horde of whispers could be heard. _

"_Let's run another scan!"_

"_It's mind is racing!"_

_A mountain top appeared in my vision, and then vanished as my eyes cleared of the haze. _Those voices…they're outside…where I must be! _My mind began to concentrate, and soon cracks appeared in the glass until the tube shattered. Water poured from the tank, and I fell into a sitting position. _

"_Radio Giovanni's helicopter! Tell them what's happened!" a man shouted._

_A nearby scientist smiled, "Quiet! Let us hear its psychic powers."_

"Psychic…powers?_" I asked, feeling confused. These emotions did not belong to me. Yet was as if I were gazing out of the eyes of another. _

_The man went on to ask my question, "For years we struggled to successfully clone a pokemon to prove our theories; but you're the first one to survive," he gestured to an ancient carving of a Mew that was hung on the wall, "That is Mew, the rarest of all pokemon. From its DNA we created you, _Mewtwo_."_

_A feeling of resentment boiled inside of me as I gazed at the image, "_Mewtwo? Am I only a copy?_" my eyes narrowed into slits, "_Nothing but Mew's shadow?_"_

"_You are greater than Mew," the man said, "improved through human ingenuity…" he went on, but I zoned out. _These humans…they care nothing for me. _They began to speak amongst themselves. I glanced at my hands; I had only three, pale lavender/white fingers. This was not my body. _Is that my purpose? Am I just an experiment? A laboratory specimen? This cannot be, my destiny! _I rose from the platform, and allowed the anger that surged through my to flow freely Computers within the room begin to explode, killing nearby scientists. Soon, fire began to spread throughout the room. Humans were engulfed by the hungry flames, leaving only one alive. I glared at him fiercely. _

"_We dreamed of creating the world's strongest pokemon," the head scientist whispered. My body began to glow a bright blue as my power began to fill the room, bursting at the seams, "and we succeeded." There was a mighty explosion…_

I leapt up, my eyes widened in surprise. I was breathing heavily; sweat decorated my brow. I glanced around the room; I was in the room that Nurse Joy allowed me to rent. I sighed and fell onto my back, running a hand through my blonde hair. _That dream…it felt so real! That creature…what was it? _I sighed and rolled out of bed. _That doesn't matter now. I need to get ready for my final Gym battle. _I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower, then dressed and packed my gear. Once everything was ready, I ran out of the Pokemon Center and across Viridian City. It did not take long for me to reach the Gym. The Gym was built with old Roman architecture; it was well-cared for a proud. I walked up the steps and past two guards, who were dressed like Roman soldiers. The stone doors opened and I entered…

The Gym was dark. There was a simple stadium in the middle; on the wall was a balcony with a comfortable throne. A familiar man sat on the throne, smirking down at me. "Giovanni!" I gaped. "What're _you _doing here?"

"Me? Why, I am the Gym Leader of Viridian City." The man in the bright orange suit replied. His Persian sat beside him, purring as he stroked its head.

_Team Rocket runs the Gym? _I paused, "There's no need for introductions, but I'll do it anyway: I, Bella Vanielle, from Pallet Town, have come to challenge the Gym Leader of Viridian City."

He smirked, "I, Giovanni of Viridian City, accept! Each of us will use only three pokemon. If you win, I will give you the Earth Badge. Deal? Now, let us begin," His hand slid into his pocket, and he tossed a pokeball into the air. Ivory light blossomed from it, and his Rhydon appeared on the field. I grinned and called on Pikachu. Giovanni looked smug as he called out his first command, "Body Slam."

"Use Thunderbolt on its horn!" I called immediately. Golden lightning shot from Pikachu's crimson cheeks and engulfed the ground-type's horn; the attack injured it. "Repeat the attack until Rhydon faints!" Pikachu did as commanded, and soon Rhydon fell to the ground, unable to battle.

"You've become smarter, Isabella." Giovanni smirked as he recalled Rhydon and then summoned Golem.

"And your getting a senile in your old age, 'ya wrinkly Geezer," I shot back as I recalled Pikachu and called out Seel, "Hydro Pump!" Water shot from the white pokemon's mouth and engulfed the rock-type, slamming it against the wall and knocking it unconscious. Golem was weak against water-types like Seel. I embraced my pokemon and recalled her in her pokeball, then waited for Giovanni to summon his last one. His last pokemon was Machamp. I called out Charizard, who roared as he stepped up, "Dragon Rage!" A large fireball shot from Charizard's throat and slammed into Machamp, knocking it back.

"Karate Chop." Giovanni muttered. Machamp ran at Charizard, who quickly blocked the attack.

"Seismic Toss!" Charizard grabbed Machamp and flew into the air; he spun around in threw Machamp so that it slammed into the ground, "Now, one more Dragon Rage!" The last attack knocked it unconscious. Charizard flew down to me and stroked my shoulder with his head. I rubbed the orange flesh, and praised him for his good work.

Giovanni began to applaud me, which was surprising, "Good job, girl. You have grown since we last met. But would you allow me to test my strongest pokemon?"

I narrowed my eyes and nodded, "Sure." _What tricks does he have up his sleeve? _I wondered as he recalled Machamp. A door in the wall slowly slid open, and my eyes widened at what I saw. There was a pale lavender, nearly white pokemon standing in the doorway. It was around the same height as a full grown man; maybe six-foot-seven. His body was a similar structure to a human, but it was different and allowed others to clearly see that it was a pokemon. It had two horns jutting out of its bald head, and a dark purple belly with a long, dark purple tail. It had three fingers and three toes. It wore dark grey armor, hindering me from seeing its eyes. I gawked at it before checking my pokédex. An image did not appear. _Unknown? What kind of pokemon is this? _

I recalled Charizard. _He won't be able to defeat it. _I reached down, wondering what I should choose. My hand flew to a ball and I threw it. Espeon appeared, ready for battle. _Why did I choose her? Hm… _"Ready girl?" I asked. She nodded.

Giovanni smirked, "Psychic." I could feel the air as it whirled at Espeon. I realized that her immunity to this sort of attack would not work. I reached out to her, calling out for my friend. _We're doomed! _I thought; but the attack never came. I was surprised when I realized why; I could feel my consciousness wrapped around her in a protective bubble. _My psychic powers…have been doubled? I've never been able to do this willingly before. Why now? _

I decided to take advantage of the moment, "Take Down," Espeon ran at the pokemon at full force; the new pokemon reached forward and blocked the attack with its hands. "Last Resort!" Espeon's body began to glow pure white as she attacked the pokemon, leaving scratches and cuts on its body. Giovanni wore the expression of a man who had just been slapped and had his ego slashed to bits. The pokemon leapt back and held out its hand, releasing a powerful Swift attack. "Evade! Hidden Power!" A bright pink light shot from Espeon's body as she cried out, and engulfed the strange pokemon. It jerked around in pain, and then canceled the attack by summoned a black ball and blue electricity around it, then tossed it at Espeon. The ball hit and sent her spiraling into a concrete wall.

"Are you OK?" I called. Espeon stood up and nodded, "Good girl. Hyper Beam!" A golden beam of light shot from her mouth. A blue bubble surrounded the pokemon and deflected the light, causing it to hit the ceiling. _Who are you? _I blinked. A male voice echoed in my mind. _Bella. Who are you? _

_My creators call me Mewtwo, but I am unsure if that is my true name. A strange aura surrounds you…tell me, do you know my purpose in life? _

_Not really. I'm not sure what you are. _

_You and I have similar minds. I can connect with you. When I do, my powers are amplified. I have seen your memories. Lived parts of your life. Strange feelings that I do not recall overcome me, and for the first time, I am content with life. Yet I still wonder what my true destiny is. To be controlled? To remain a slave until the end of my days? What am I meant to be? Tell me!  
_

_I don't know! I don't even know my own destiny, let alone the destiny of others. Why not consult your creators? And who are your creators? _Images of the scientists flashed across my eyes.

_They were humans. That is all I know. Now I serve this strange man. He says that we are equals…but…_

_Well your not! Giovanni is ruthless jerk that sees pokemon as tools, and nothing more. You should do the smart thing and abandon this hack before he ruins your life. _I watched in horror as another black ball hit Espeon and slammed her against the wall. _DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY POKEMON!!! _A wave shot through my arms, and soon Espeon struggled to her feet and opened her mouth. The same black ball that Mewtwo used flew at him and hurled him into the wall. He slumped to the ground and remained still. I could sense that he was still conscious, but he seemed to have zoned out.

_Why…?_

I did not reply. I merely crossed the stadium and embraced my injured Espeon, "You were great out there." I whispered to her. She rubbed her nose against my shoulder as a show of appreciation. I recalled her into her pokeball and glared up at Giovanni. I held out my hand expectantly.

He narrowed his eyes in an irritated way, but flicked a small shimmering object to me. I caught it and looked at it. It resembled a green flower. I grinned as I opened the case and placed it with the: Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, Marsh Badge, Soul Badge, Volcano Badge, and now the Earth Badge. I placed the case in my pack and glared up at Giovanni. I gave him a curt nod, took one last glance at Mewtwo, and then left the Gym. I descended the stairs until I was at the bottom. To my surprise, Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu were there. I noticed a strange little egg-shapped pokemon in Misty's arms. I checked my pokédex and found it was called Togepi.

"Hey guys." I said.

Ash smiled, "Hey Bella! How 'ya been?"

"Great I just earned my final badge." I grinned.

He looked astounded, "Really!? Was it hard?"

"A little," I said, "But I bet you'll beat 'em."

There was the roar of a car. I turned and to my dismay, Gary Oak was there. His cheerleaders accompanied him, "Yeah right! Silly little Ash and his pokepals could _never _beat the final Gym Leader!"

"Shut-it, Gary!" Ash spat, "I'm about to be ahead of you, seeing as I'm going to challenge him _first_!"

"Yeah right," Gary pulled out a case, revealing ten badges, "I'm _way _ahead of_ both_ of you."

Ash gawked while I replied, "No-one likes an egotistical git."

"Whatever. Your just jealous of my _amazing _talents." The brunette smirked.

I grinned, "Then go and challenge _this _Gym leader. Let's see if you win."

Gary's eyes burned, "Fine! I will!" He jumped out of the car and stomped up the steps. His cheerleaders followed him, crying out cheers in annoyingly high-pitched voices. Ash I tried to follow, but the guards would only allow one trainer to pass at a time.

Ash growled, "If I don't do something fast, Gary's gonna get _way _ahead of me!"

"Uh, news flash, but Gary's always been ahead of you." Misty mumbled. Ash sighed in defeat.

I leaned towards the redhead, "A little harsh, don't 'ya think?"

"Be careful what you say around him." Brock whispered.

Togepi waddled up to Ash and climbed onto his back. He tapped its shoulder curiously, "Oh, thank-you," Ash cried, "You're the only one that stands by me!" He turned to hug his starter, but instead he embraced Togepi. Out of surprise, he threw Togepi into the air, which was caught by a yawning Fearow.

Misty stomped up to the boy and punched the back of his head, "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!?""

Ash smiled nervously, "Misty! It was an eggsident." All three of us paused to digest what he just said, "Heh! Get it? Its an egg and an…"

"LET'S GO!!!" the redheaded Gym Leader screamed. Misty, Ash, Brock, Pikachu, and I all sprinted after the fleeing foul…

We were running in circles around the city; we soon met up at the Gym, unable to find the poor infant. Misty was practically pulling her own hair out in worry. She turned and violently shook Ash by his shirt, "IF WE DON'T FIND TOGEPI I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!!"

"Calm down Misty," Brock held up his hands in surrender, "That won't help Togepi."

She glared at him, "Well it makes me feel better!" The sound of a baby pokemon filled the air. We all glanced around, curious as to where it came from. It was coming from within the Gym. We ran inside, and low and behold, there sat little Togepi. Misty ran by us and embraced her pokemon.

"How'd it get in?" I asked.

"Over there!" Brock gestured to the corner. I saw Gary lying on the floor with his cheerleaders huddled in a corner.

"Gary!" I crossed the room and crouched beside him, "Are you OK?"

"I-Its here!" he cried.

"What's here?" I asked.

He looked up at me, "There's a weird pokemon here…one I've never seen before…and its different…its not just powerful…its _evil_."

"But…there can't be an evil pokemon." Ash mumbled.

One of the cheerleaders sniffled, "I can't believe that Gary lost…" they all began wailing like a group of banshee. Gary cried out in surprise as I dropped him and covered my ears. _Stupid preps! If they don't stop blubbering, I'll have Pikachu chew their vocal cords out! _

"Why are you making such a big fuss?" Misty asked. They stopped. "If I cried like that every time Ash lost, I'd be waterlogged!"

Ash smiled nervously, "Well, you don't have to put it _that _way."

"One things for sure…" Gary whispered, "No-one will _ever _beat that pokemon."

_But _I _did. _I was tempted to say, but I remained silent. There was an annoying cackle as the lights flashed on. A platform lifted upwards, revealing James and Jessie:

"Prepare for trouble!" the purple haired woman cried.

"And make it double!" the blue-haired man added.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"I unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

Ash narrowed his eyes, "It's them!"

"Again!" Brock added.

I blinked. _Their motto sounds just like Hooch and Cassidy's. _

"Why do you twerps always interrupt us before we're finished!?" Jessie hissed.

Misty sighed, "We already _know _what your going to say! It's never any different!"

Jessie held up a finger, "Ah, but today it is!"

"Something has happened," James added. Meowth appeared out of a large ball on the ceiling and fell to the floor.

"We just gotta _big _promotion!" the cat-pokemon said dramatically.

"'Cause the new leaders of this Gym are…" James paused.

Jessie continued, "The three of us!"

"Huh?" all of us said at once.

"Yup! We were just put in charge of this Gym!" Jessie grinned as she held up the Earth Badge.

"If you want the badge, then you have to defeat us." James said.

"And we prepared a stage just for you!" She threw out her arm, revealing two tall podiums for two people. Ash went and mounted the green one while Jessie stood on the red one.

"Be careful Ash." Brock warned.

Jessie grinned as she called out a Machamp. Then Ash called out Squirtle. With one Karate Chop, the pokemon was knocked out. Electricity shocked Ash. My eyes widened in surprise. "Any pain the pokemon feels, the trainer feels." Jessie said.

Ash weakly recalled Squirtle and then summoned Bulbasaur. Jessie called out Kingler. "You can't win!" Gary cried.

"I…w-won't give up!" Ash declared as he recalled Bulbasaur, and summoned Pidgeotto. The bird-type hit Rhydon. He then ordered his pokemon, and it flew down and used an attack powerful enough to send electrical shocks flowing through Jessie.

"I THOUGHT IT WAS RIGGED! UH! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!!!" she screamed in pain.

Meowth pulled out a controller, but was tackled to the ground by Gary. Jessie stood up and called out two more pokemon and had them attack Ash.

"You can't use new pokemon now, its against the rules!" Misty cried.

"I make the rules in this Gym." Jessie replied. Ash grinned as he sent his Pikachu at her, defeating her easily.

Gary smiled, "I hate to admit it…but that kids a pretty good trainer," I was surprised by his words, "But…no-one will ever beat the pokemon that I saw."

I nodded in false agreement. Ash ran over to the unconscious trio and stole the badge. He released a cheer of excitement, but we were soon forced to evacuate before the building could collapse. I stood in front of the rubble, gazing at the place I had last seen Mewtwo and Giovanni in. I said farewell to Ash and the others and went to the Pokemon Center to rest after a hard days work…

**Bella has finally received her eighth badge. Now, the real battle is about to begin. Please review and I will update soon…**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank-you for reviewing. I decided to keep Pikachu as he was because honestly, I like Pikachu better than Raichu. But he might evolve later on. And now for the next chapter. Bella is about to begin her toughest battle yet…and she's not even in the Indigo Plateau yet. There has been a time skip over the course of a few weeks. So, here is the next chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 21: Copied**

"_Faith is believe what you don't see_;

_The reward of this faith is to see_

_What you believe_."

-Saint Augustine

After spending another night in Viridian City, Charizard and I flew back to Pallet Town. My mother was relieved to see me after a year, and she embraced me, crying as if it had been multiple years. She was surprised to see the pokemon that I had, and proud to see how well they had been trained. I also learned something interesting: there was another month before the Indigo League would actually start. That gave me a month to train my pokemon until they were prepared for what was to come. Professor Oak and Delia were happy to see me again, as well as the other townspeople. I took three days to have a break before beginning the tough training. I left Pallet again, but I did not travel too far. Trainer after trainer battled me, but I managed to defeat each and every one of them. I returned to the Pokemon Center, and then would battle more trainers. Seel evolved into a Dewgong as a result; Dewgong looked like a more beautiful, and slimmer Seel that was big enough for me to ride.

I was busy eating a snack when a voice called for my attention. "Hey! You there," A female voice called. I looked to the right, and found a girl in a school uniform standing not far. We were both in a wide field with the ocean nearby. "My name is Molly, and I was wondering if you would battle me. I'm getting ready for the Indigo League."

I grinned and stood up, "Why not?" I grabbed a pokeball at my side and called out Larvitar. He grew fast.

Molly called on a Pidgeotto. She pointed at my pokemon, "Whirlwind!"

"Endure!" Powerful wind tried to carry Larvitar away, but he fought to stay on the ground. "Dark Pulse!" Black and purple rings shot from his palms and engulfed Pidgeotto.

It survived the attack, "Fury Attack!" Molly ordered. Pidgeotto flew down and began pecking at Larvitar.

The attacks did not effect a ground-type, "Thrash!" Larvitar caught it and began slamming it back and forth on the ground, "Crunch!" He left a powerful bite mark on Pidgeotto, knocking it out. Larvitar turned to me and leapt into my arms. "You were great, Larvitar!" I set him down and prepared for my next pokemon.

Molly narrowed her eyes as she recalled Pidgeotto, and then called on a Wartortle. I grinned and called out Pikachu. "Rapid Spin!" she ordered.

"Dodge! Swift!" Golden stars shot from Pikachu's mouth and knocked the turtle-pokemon away.

"Water Gun!" water shot from its mouth and knocked Pikachu against a large boulder.

"Thunderbolt!" Golden lightning engulfed Wartortle and knocked it unconscious. Pikachu ran to me, and I embraced him. He leapt to the ground and sat beside Larvitar.

Molly stomped her foot and recalled Wartortle, and then called on a Gloom. I called out Espeon. "Psychic!" She held Gloom in the air and slammed it against the ground, and then threw it against a boulder. "Last Resort!" She sprinted towards the Gloom in her silver form and injured it even more.

"Vine Whip!" Molly cried. Vines shot from Gloom and slapped at Espeon. She endured the attack.

"Quick Attack!" I cried. That last attack defeated it easily. I hugged my psychic-pokemon, and she ran to the side. "Anymore?"

"One more!" she threw her pokeball in the air, summoned a tall, three-headed bird. _Dodrio, the normal/flying type. They become very grouchy, and argue constantly. They can be found in desert plains. _I called out Charizard. "Tri-Strike!" Fire, lightning, and ice struck my starter all at once.

He withstood them and waited for the orders, "Dragon Rage!" That was all it took to knock Dodrio unconscious. Charizard roared in delight as I cheered. Molly sighed and recalled her pokemon before walking off in defeat. I called out the rest of my pokemon, and we all sat down and enjoyed our lunch together. That was how the past few weeks had been. Relaxing and battling our hearts out. Everything had been going perfectly until a Dragonite with a messenger bag flew over us and landed in front of me. All of my pokemon were on their guard.

"Hey! Watch where your flying!" I said in an irritated tone. The Dragonite reached into its bag and held a letter out to me. I took it gingerly and flipped it over. A small hologram of a woman appeared.

"_Greetings pokemon trainers, I bare an invitation. You have been chosen with a select group of pokemon trainers at a special gathering. It will be hosted by my master, the world's greatest pokemon trainer; at his palace on New Island_," a map appeared, "_A chartered ferry will meet from Old Shore to take you to the island this afternoon. Only trainers who present this invitation will be allowed to enter. If you decide to attend, you must reply at once_." The hologram ended.

I looked at another card, shrugged, and signed 'yes'. Another little adventure would not hurt. I gave it back to Dragonite, while keeping the invitation, and it flew away. I looked at the others, "Looks like we've got more work to do. C'mon Charizard, let's go." I recalled my other pokemon, mounted my starter, and we flew away…

Surprisingly, it only took an hour for a harsh storm to arrive. Charizard and I quickly arrived at the boat station, and I quickly recalled him before running into the large building. It was filled with trainers and their pokemon. _Something wasn't right about that storm. _I thought _It arrived too quickly. _I thought as I wandered around the station. A trainer's Kingler, and another trainer's Raticate were arguing. I ignored them and continued on. I pushed to the front of a crowd, and found that the ferry was canceled.

"This is more than just rain," Officer Jenny said, "the harbor manager thinks that this could be the worst storm ever."

The harbor manager wore a blue outfit similar to Jenny's, and she had long, light blue hair, "Listen to me," she said in an odd accent, "the profits have predicted the return of the winds of water. For years I have prayed, that mankind would never such a deadly storm again." I recognized the story immediately. My mother told me about it when I was little.

"Isn't that just a legend?" Officer Jenny asked.

She continued, "The ancient writings tell of the storm whipping out all but a few pokemon. And their sorrow somehow restored the lives lost in the storms. But there are no pokemon tears today. Just waters that no-one can survive."

"That is why you cannot go." The officer agreed.

A chubby man grinned, "Well I'm going anyway! All of my pokemon are water-types; we'll just swim over to that palace!"

"Yeah, but if you tried that stunt and your pokemon got hurt, then there wouldn't be anyone to help you, 'cause we had to close the Center!" Jenny shot back.

Brock ran forth, "Why?"

"Nurse Joy disappeared last month. And if you see her, please contact us immediately." She snapped. Some trainers went by and ran to the harbor; I was one of them. A boy called out his Pidgeot, and took off into the air. One girl called on her Dewgong, and swam away. Another boy used his Gyarados to flee. I went on and called out Dewgong to aid me in crossing the ocean. I packed my egg in my backpack and jumped onto her back, and then held on for dear life as she swam into the darkness…

Crossing the ocean was a true challenge. My arms wrapped around Dewgong's neck as she crossed the raging waters. I was completely soaked, and almost lost my grip a few times. We were drug under the waves, and pushed back and forth by the fierce water and winds. Eventually we arrived in an area that was unusually calm. I opened my eyes and looked up. A tall, gothic and dark tower awaited us. Dewgong stopped at the deck and I jumped onto the wood. I recalled her and went to meet the guide. Said woman wore a dark red dress, and resembled Nurse Joy perfectly. I was surprised, but I fought past it and followed her up the winding staircases and into the main room. It was a large storm with a long, winding golden staircase, tables full of food, and stone benches. The double doors creaked ominously as they closed. I sighed and sat down beside the only other girl.

Her long dark brown hair was tied into two pigtails. She had pale skin and dark blue eyes. She wore a light blue dress with a white collar, with white sandals. She smiled at me, "I'm Neesha Sweet. Who're you?"

"I'm Bella Vanielle." I smiled.

She looked at me, "You need to call out all of your pokemon. For some reason, its required."

I shrugged and aimed a pokeball at one of the many pools in the room. Dewgong appeared in the pool. I then called out Charizard, Pikachu, Arcanine, Espeon, and Larvitar. "Nice pokemon." Neesha said.

"Thanks." I replied.

She gestured to all of her pokemon, "These are my pokemon." She had a Blastoise, Wigglytuff, Rapidash, Dewgong, Vileplume, and a Ninetails.

I looked at the others, "Who're you guys?"

"Fergus Umio." a chubby guy wearing a bright blue tank-top, shorts, and sneakers said. He gestured to his pokemon. He had a Gyarados, Nidoqueen, Seadra, Vaporeon, Golduck, and a Tentacruel.

A boy with short, spiky black hair and dark brown eyes gestured to himself, "Corey Sorao." He wore a bright orange jumpsuit. He went on and gestured to his own pokemon. He had a Venusaur, Pidgeot, Scyther, Hitmonlee, Rhyhorn, and a Sandslash. I sighed and sat back, ready for the show to begin.

A few moments later, Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi appeared. Ash called out Bulbasaur and Squirtle, while Misty called out her Psyduck and Brock summoned his Vulpix. Everyone went through introductions, and then immediately the lights dimmed. A blue light flashed from the ceiling. "You about to meet my monster." The guide said in a monotone voice. My eyes grew wide with shock when I saw who it was: Mewtwo. Only he was without his armor; so now I could see his sharp, piercing, hateful dark purple irises. I stood up and gazed up at him with surprise. _No way! _"Yes, the world's greatest pokemon master is also the world's strongest pokemon. He is the ruler of New Island and soon the whole world."

Fergus jumped up, "A pokemon can't be a pokemon master! No way!"

"Quiet human. From now on I am the one who makes the rules." The woman and Mewtwo said at once. Fergus hovered into the air and screamed in pain, before being tossed into a pool.

He jumped out of the water and pointed at Mewtwo, "We'll show you! Let's go Gyarados! Hyper Beam attack!" A golden light shot from its mouth, but Mewtwo deflected it and knocked the pokemon unconscious.

"_Child's play,_" he looked at Nurse Joy, "_Your usefulness has ended._"

The woman fainted. Just before she could hit the ground, Brock caught her. She awoke and looked up at him, "Where am I? And how in the world did I get here?"

"_You were under my control. Your knowledge of pokemon physiology proved useful to my plans. But now you are no longer of use to me._" Mewtwo explained.

"Who are you?" Brock shouted.

"_I am the new ruler of this world. The master of humans and pokemon alike._" The lavender psychic-type announced.

Misty stepped forward, "You just a big bully!"

"Pika!" Ash's electric rodent agreed.

"_You humans are a dangerous species. You brought me into your world with no purpose but to be your slave. But now I have a purpose; I will rebuild this world by destroying your world._"

Brock glared at him, "So your going to destroy us to save pokemon?"

"_No. Your pokemon will not be spared. They are nothing but slaves. They shall die along with the rest of you._"

"Pika!" Pikachu argued.

"_I am wrong? You are not this human's slave; but you are his friend? You are as pathetic as the rest._" He used his telepathic powers to send Pikachu flying across the room. Ash caught it, and took the blow instead.

Corey stepped up, "If you are a pokemon then there's no reason I can't capture you! Go Rhyhorn!" His rock-type charged at Mewtwo, but his powers protected himself.

"_Fools. Your pokemon attacks cannot weaken me. My powers are too great. No pokemon can conquer me._"

Ash grinned, "Then why don't you prove it in a real match?"

His eyes flashed dangerously, "_Is that a challenge?_"

"You bet it is!" the raven-haired boy replied. Mewtwo's eyes began to glow a bright blue. Soon, a Venusaur with odd, light green stripes appeared. A Blastoise with dark blue stripes appeared. And then a Charizard with dark red stripes was last.

"_I cloned the evolved forms of Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander._" He said as he revealed a giant stadium behind the four.

"A stadium." Brock muttered.

_He's well prepared. _I thought as I moved to get a better look. Corey was the first to step up, "Your fake Venusaur can't beat my real one, right Bruteroot?" The grass-type nodded in agreement.

"We'll blow away that Blastoise, won't we Shellshocker?" Neesha said. The water-type nodded in agreement.

I looked at my starter, "Wanna have a go, Charizard?" He roared in agreement.

"_Which one of you will oppose me first?_" Mewtwo asked.

Bruteroot and Corey were the first. Venusaur stepped forward as well. "Go Bruteroot, Razor Leaf!"

"_Vine Whip_." Venusaur caught Bruteroot and slammed him against the wall. Corey ran to his fallen pokemon.

"Looks like I'm up. Go Shellshocker!" Neesha called. "Use Hydro Pump!"

The cloned Blastoise ran forward, and used a Rapid Spin to send Shellshocker slammed into the wall. The cloned Charizard was next. I stepped forward. "Bella! You've gotta forfeit!" Misty called.

"I'm not giving in now," I had to prove a point to Mewtwo. "Charizard, rely on speed and not power and you'll win. Now go!" He roared and leapt into the air. The clone chased him. They shot fire blasts at each other for a moment before slamming into one another. My Charizard spat fire, while the other began to tackle him. It caught him in a chokehold, and used a Seismic Toss to finish him. I gawked at the scene, "Charizard!!!" I sprinted to the center of the field and embraced my fallen starter.

"_As the victor, I will now claim my prize: your pokemon!_" He threw three black pokeballs at our pokemon and stole them.

"Charizard!" I cried. I glared at him, "You bastard! Give him back!"

Mewtwo held up his hands and summoned many more of those strange pokeballs, "_I will keep all of your pokemon here and make clones for myself. They will remain safe on this island with me, while my storm destroys the rest of the planet._"

"You can't do that!" Brock challenged.

Ash threw his fist out, "'Yeah, we won't let 'ya!"

"_Do not attempt to defy _me," His eyes glowed as he threw Ash at Brock. "_This is _my _world now_." He threw the pokeballs, and they soared past us and at our pokemon. I jerked around and sprinted to my own pokemon. Using my back, I thwarted the pokeballs as they came. Unfortunately, one got by and captured Arcanine.

"Arcanine!" I cried. Another came through and caught my Dewgong, "Dewgong!" Espeon used her own telekinesis to ward them away. I grabbed Larvitar and Pikachu to protect them. I tried to guard Espeon, but in the end she was caught. Ash tried to save his pokemon, but they were captured even when in their pokeballs. Psyduck and Vulpix were next. I tried to guard Larvitar, but he was caught. I used my own back to protect Pikachu. Ash's Pikachu began sprinting up the stairs in a desperate attempt to escape. I tried to make a break for it with my bag in hand, but a group of pokeballs tripped me and stole Pikachu.

I fell on my face and jerked up, "Dammit!" I jumped up and sprinted after them. Without even thinking, I jumped down one of the shoots and slid down a long, metal slide until I landed on what appeared to be a machine that was slowly absorbing our pokemon. I jumped off and examined the area. It resembled the lab from my dreams, only darker with a gothic touch. There were pods that possessed a: cloned Meowth, Vaporeon, Vileplume, Gyarados, Rhyhorn, Rapidash, Sandslash, Scyther, two Dewgongs, Golduck, Seadra, Tentacruel, Nidoqueen, Ninetails, Wigglytuff, Pidgeot, Vulpix, Psyduck, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Hitmonlee, Arcanine, Larvitar, and an Espeon. They were clones. A Pikachu clone soon appeared.

I looked to the left and found Jessie, James, and Meowth standing nearby, "How'd _you _guys get here?"

"Well…you see, that's kind of a long story." James said nervously.

There was a thud. We all turned around and found Ash running down the long belt. "I don't have time for another motto today!" He said as he dove into the belt. The machine began to shoot of sparks as Ash fought to pull his pokemon out of the machine. He fell to the ground, and his Pikachu popped out. Then, the copies began to hatch from the strangely made pods. _Wow…they are born so quickly, and hatch so easily. _I thought. The clones filed out of the room. I turned back to the machine, and covered my face as the top exploded. Pokeballs flew out and hit the floor, allowing the pokemon within to break free. I caught one pokeball that opened, and revealed itself to be Charizard. He turned and rubbed the side of my head with his nose happily. I hugged my starter back.

"Charizard! I was so worried that I'd lost you," I whispered. I was soon tackled to the ground by Espeon, Pikachu, Dewgong, Arcanine, and Larvitar. Ash's Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pikachu embraced him happily. I looked up at the other trainer, "So what're we gonna do now?"

"Fight back," Ash said as he rose to his feet, "C'mon everyone, let's go!" He took off after the clones with me, my pokemon, and the others behind him…

We climbed up a long series of stairs until we reached the floor we had been searching for. We arrived just as Mewtwo said, "_…the hour of my vengeance draws near._" He said in an eerie tone.

"You can't do that!" Ash called to announce our presence, "I won't let you!" The other pokemon and I followed him into the open.

"Ash! Bella!" Misty and Brock called.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes, "_It is useless to challenge me._"

"I won't let it end like this Mewtwo!" Ash called as he raced forward.

I called out to him, "Ash don't! You can't stop him!" _He needs psychic powers to at least give him a boost. Maybe I can… _But I knew that Mewtwo was more experienced in the art. He used his power to continuously knock Ash back until he finally decided to toss him towards one of the many spikes near the ceiling. I thought that the boy would die, but a bright pink bubble saved him. I blinked and looked at the source. My jaw dropped with shock at what I saw; I pulled out my pokédex to make sure my eyes were correct. _Mew, psychic-type. Nothing is known about it. _

_Mew. Is that the same one? _I wondered. Mew summoned another bubble and began to bounce around like a playful child. It stopped when Mewtwo used a Shadow Ball to attack it. "_Mew…so finally we meet._"

"Mew." The little white, cat-like pokemon with sky blue eyes said in a cute voice.

"_I will prove that I am better than the original. Superior to Mew,_" Mewtwo said as he took flight and began to chasing Mew around the stadium. He fired a multitude of Shadow Balls at it before stopping, "_Why do you flee from me? Are you afraid to find out which of us is greater?_" He threw another Shadow Ball and hit Mew, sending it soaring into the clouds. My heart skipped a beat as I waited for Mew to reappear. When it seemed that it was gone, the Shadow Ball came back and knocked Mewtwo against the wall. He stood up, "_So you do have some fight in you. I want my clones to challenge your inferior little originals._"

Mew began to speak in a language that we humans could never understand. "_I'll show you who the most worthy is!_" Mewtwo said as he threw another Shadow Ball at Mew. It dodged the attack. "_Who shall win? Let us find out!_" He ordered his clones forward. The originals charged forward. I wrapped my arms around myself to protect myself, but in the end I would have been trampled if not for Charizard. He moved me to the side and challenged the clone. I fell to my rear and watched in horror as the pokemon began to tear each other apart; they fought as though they were prepared to die for a worthless cause. I had not noticed that tears were streaming down my pale cheeks as I watched the violence continue. _No…it can't end like this. Pokemon aren't meant to fight like this. Its worthless, pointless fighting. This will cause meaningless deaths. _The thought of any of my pokemon dying hurt worse than anything else.

I glared at Mewtwo and ran towards the groups, "MEWTWO! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! YOUR ACTING LIKE AN IMMATURE CHILD!!!" He turned away from Mew and glared at me. His eyes began to glow as he lifted my body upwards, and slammed me against the wall. He continued to do this until the wind was knocked out of me, and I fell to the ground, bleeding and exhausted. I gasped for air and glared at him, defiance still burning in me, "S-stop…this…n-needs to s-stop…" my eyes zeroed in on Ash's Pikachu and its clone. Ash's Pikachu refused to fight, but the clone would soon die from exhaustion if nothing was done. The tears continued to fall. I could see Ash as he fell from the upper plateau and to the ground. His friends crowded around him.

Charizard and his clone fell to the ground, "Charizard!!!" I cried. I glared at Mewtwo, "P-please…stop…" I was still out of breath from the beating I had received. Soon, Mewtwo and Mew landed on the ground. The force of their power knocked the lights out, along with the rest of the pokemon. I struggled to my feet, as did Ash. We glanced around the gym, and our eyes met. We knew what had to be done. I found the power in my legs and charged forward with Ash in the opposite direction.

"STOP!!!!" we screamed in unison and found our way to the center of the stadium. Mewtwo and Mew released their attacks, which hit us immediately. My body convulsed and went numb, and then slowly, I fell to my knees. My entire body hit the ground, and almost immediately, I lost consciousness…

_Where am I? _

_Why do I feel so cold?_

_So alone? _

_What is this place? _

_Who am I?_

_I-I don't understand…what's going on? Images danced through my mind. Images that I could not recall. Then there was one image that appeared. It was of a young brown haired boy around the age of fifteen. I reached out to him, but he could not see me. I called out to him, but he did not hear me. I continued to call out to him, desperately wanting him to answer me. Then I remembered all that transpired. _

_Am I going to die? _

_Is this how it ends? _

_No…I won't let it! Not until I can see my mother and sister one last time. Not until I can say goodbye to Charizard and all of my other pokemon, and Ash, Professor Oak, and all the others. Not until I can tell my father…not until I can tell Gary that I…that I l-love…_

My eyes opened as my consciousness slowly returned to me. The blur in my eyes vanished, and I saw dark grey clouds above me. I sat up and looked around. I was sitting on a harbor, behind me was the station. The calmed waters after a hurricane rolled in waves. The sun slowly fought through the dark clouds as they moved on. "Uh…how'd I get here?" I asked no-one in particular. I thought about what had happened before; all I could remember was beating that one girl, Molly, and then nothing. There was nothing but a blank. Well, I could remember seeing Mew, and one more pokemon that resembled Mew, but was not at the same time. I could not remember what it was, but I was interested in finding out.

I looked down at my hip. All six of my pokeballs were there, undisturbed. I checked my backpack; my blue and black egg was still safe. I gazed up as the sun pierced through the clouds; my eyes glimmered with curiosity when I noticed a familiar pink glow. It looked like a little pokemon soaring away into the beyond. _Mew? _I smiled and pulled out my sketchpad. First, I began sketching a picture of the Mew I had met years ago. And then, slowly it transformed into an image of both the strange unknown pokemon and Mew together, living in harmony as they soared in the free, bright blue sky. I smiled down at my sketchbook before putting it away and standing up. All remnants of the storm had gone. So, I called on Charizard and flew back to Pallet Town…

**Yes, I replaced Ash's Charizard with Bella's. If I remember correctly, Ash's Charizard wouldn't listen to him in the Indigo League. Not until either the Orange Islands or Johto (pretty sure it's the former). Poor Bella had a near-death experience (as did Ash, I did not cut that part), and she can't even remember it. At least she got her pictures of Mew and Mewtwo. She said that that was one thing she wanted to do: sketch pictures of every legendary she encountered. Also, yes, Sinnoh pokemon do exist at this point because I have mentioned that her father lives in Sinnoh a few times. Plus, Irina was visiting that place earlier in the story. So, please review and the next chapter will be up soon…**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank-you for reviewing. And yes, Bella will get other pokemon other than the ones she already has. Her new pokemon will began arriving during the Johto Arc; although I will not tell you how this will happen until the time comes. Enjoy Bella's **_**futile**_** effort to achieve the title of League Champion during the Indigo Arc…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 22: Tense **

"_Myths are public dreams, dreams_

_Are private myths_."

-Joseph Campbell

After returning to Pallet Town after awaking in that odd place, my pokemon and I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the spring heat. I told my mother about what had happened; she told me that strange events always occurred due to the presence of pokemon. However, these occurrences can be both positive and negative. It depends on what happens. That did not make much sense, but I went with it anyway. I spent the next several weeks training my pokemon with all of my might, until finally the day of the Indigo League arrived. I woke that day and dressed into my usual outfit, gathered my pokeballs, and left the house after eating breakfast. I quickly began making my way down the road until I moved through Route One. At Viridian City, I ran into a large crowd of people, who were standing around Route Twenty-Two.

I crept towards the crowd and quickly ran into Ash, Misty, Brock, Togepi, and Pikachu. "Hey!" I called.

Ash looked at me and smiled, "Bella! You made it!"

"Of course I did. Did you think I'd chicken out?" I asked lightly. "So, what's going on?" I gestured to the crowd.

Brock stepped forward with a broad grin, "Every League, people carry the torch, which is lit by the flame of a legendary pokemon called Moltres, and it stands for…"

"…the spirit of the Pokemon League." I finished. I knew the story, but I had forgotten it for a short time; it has been quite a while since I watched other trainers battle at the League. I remembered how somehow, Kanto obtained the flame of the Legendary Fire-Bird, Moltres. It is a large yellow bird that is covered in flames. It has been said that whenever Moltres appears, the embers from its wings will cause winter to become spring instantly. A positive omen for farmers and the like. There were three other legendary birds, but I will go into detail about them later.

Ash had a determined look in his eyes, "And I'm determined to catch a Moltres, and then train it!"

"Uh…that might not be a good idea…" I whispered under my breath. Legend also had it, that all four Legendary Birds protected the four main forces of Nature. If one is caught, it will change the course of Nature for the worst. But I did hear rumors that there were multiple Lugia, so it was possible to catch one and keep the balance. But it was not suggested.

Misty had a smug smile on her face, "Like you trained Charizard?"

"Eh…well…" Ash looked nervous. For some reason, his Charizard did not see him as a fit trainer. But mine respected me, and was one of my best friends. That was just another example of how intelligent pokemon are: their different personalities, thought patterns, and preferences when it came to trainers. "Well, I'm gonna go carry that torch!" The raven-haired boy said as he turned and ran to the man who had been carrying it. A large SUV drove behind him slowly. Ash tried to take the torch from him, but a whistle caught our attention.

Officer Jenny came sprinting down the road towards him, "Stop! Only those who are officially qualified to carry the torch can do it!"

"But…you know us Officer Jenny." Ash said. I ran to his side, expecting her to recognize me as well.

She did not. Her stern face fell into confusion, "No I don't."

"Actually," Brock said as he stepped between the two, "We know your sisters and cousins, not you."

_So this is one of the millions of Officer Jennies that looks freakishly like her millions of cousins and sister. _I thought. "Well, it looks like your friends causing trouble." Jenny muttered.

Brock smiled and hugged Ash, "Oh, _him_? He's harmless. But he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, if you know what I mean."

"What's _that _supposed to mean!?" Ash spat angrily.

I fought a giggle. The truth hurts sometimes; a fact that Ash would have to become accustomed to. "But only competitors who have been approved can carry the torch." Jenny stuck to her orders like a good officer should; but she needed to be more flexible, and to learn how to bend the rules a little.

"But I am a competitor!" Ash insisted, "Please let me carry the torch."

"But the rules are very clear." Jenny replied, staying true to her orders.

"Well I say that we bend the rules and given these young folks a chance." A strained old voice said.

We all turned in the direction. It belonged to a short old man, who had tanned skin and black irises. He wore a baggy bright red t-shirt, green shorts that went to his knees, a dark blue cap that was turned backwards, and he had long white hair with a long, bushy beard of the same color. He had the jolly and kind look in his eyes, "The Pokemon League Competition is all about spirit, and it sounds like these young folks have lots of it." He said merrily.

"President Goodshow?" Jenny asked, surprised to see him.

There was a pregnant pause. Then, both Ash and I turned to Jenny and simultaneously asked: "Is that Santa Claus?"

Everyone else slapped their palms to their foreheads, while the short old man simply jumped down to the ground. He chuckled, "Santa Claus?" He rose to his feet.

Jenny smiled, "May I present the honorable Charles Goodshow, President of the Pokemon League Torch Community."

"May friends call me Charlie." Goodshow added.

Misty raised a bright orange eyebrow, "You sure don't look like a President."

I had to agree with her there. He looked more like a guy that worked as a Santa Claus that stands near the Pokemart and rings bell, getting money to give to the poor. Heck, he could pass for the jolly old man himself. Ash shrugged, "Who cares?"

"That's correct, young lad," Goodshow said as he walked up to Ash, "Its what one does, not what one looks like that defines their character. And I can see that you son are a doer. This whole competition is about spirit, and we could use a spirited young lad such as yourself. So, what do you say?"

"It'd be an honor!" Ash said without skipping a beat. The man who was in charge of the flame gave it to Ash.

Misty sighed, "Brock and I better stay and help you to make sure you don't drop it or something."

"I'll help to." I added.

Goodshow smiled at me, "Your little Maria's girl, aren't you?"

"Yes. How'd you know?" I asked.

"Because you remind me of Erik with Maria's personality. You know, both Maria and Erik carried the torch when they were in the Indigo League as children. Its nice to see that your following in their footsteps." Maria and Erik; my parents.

I nodded and smiled before boarding the bus. Ash took off down Route Twenty-Two, with us following behind. _Better than walking. _I thought. Most believed that I had my father's features if he had been female, and my mother's personality. A true fusion of two human beings. Irina had my mother's features, and a large portion of both personalities. The ride was going smoothly until a small earthquake caught the bus, and we were forced to a stop. I held onto my chair, shaking slightly as we stopped moving and leaned towards the ground slightly. Unfortunately, we were on top of the bus, so holding on had become a chore. The bus did fall into the crevice in the end, but no-one was hurt. Just as I regained my bearings, I heard the familiar voices of James, Jessie, and Meowth. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

Meowth jumped from their strange, Meowth-head shapped balloon and scratched at Ash's face, allowing him to nab the torch. Luckily, he caught on fire as a result for touching it. Pikachu caught the falling torch before it could hit the ground. Meowth began chasing James and Jessie around like a running ball of fire in an attempt to beg for help, but they simply fled. James summoned a Victoriebell, who grabbed Meowth with its mouth. This caused it to catch on fire, and then chase Team Rocket back and forth. I fought to not laugh at the entire scenario. Ash rolled his eyes and called out Squirtle so that it could put the flames out. A long argument and fight ensued, which ended with Team Rocket escaping with the torch.

I called out Charizard and Arcanine, and had them help pull the bus, and us, out of the crater. I recalled them and looked at Ash. We failed the League. I felt so guilty about it. "We failed." He whimpered, thus speaking my very thoughts.

"You did no such thing," Goodshow said merrily. He reached into his beard and pulled out a little lantern. I stood there and questioned the laws of physics as he knelt beside Ash, and created a new torch. He handed it to the soon-to-be-fifteen-year-old, "I always keep an extra flame from Moltres just in case the flame goes out. The League is important to me, so I keep it close to my heart as an insurance policy."

Once the flame was reborn, we boarded and the bus and followed Ash and Pikachu along the Route. When we came to a stop, Misty replaced Ash. We then followed her along the Route. I was excited, considering what was to follow after the torch. Once we reached another stop, Brock took her place. The bus continued along the Route with the rock trainer running ahead. After coming to another stop, I took his position and began running along the road. It was an honor to carry the torch; and I knew it. Finally, the giant stadium appeared as I ran through the finish line. I ran up to Goodshow and handed him the torch, "I present you with the flame of Moltres." I said.

"Thank-you." Goodshow said. Everyone cheered; my cries could be heard only in my mind…

The sun was setting again after a long and exciting day. My legs carried me towards what was known as the League Village. The village was made of a few hotels, restaurants, markets, and the Pokemon Center. That was where trainers who entered the competition stayed. I entered the village and went in search of a place to stay. I eventually came across a nice, cozy little wooden cottage. I rented the cottage and entered. I was surprised to see that it was actually already rented, however I was told that I was welcomed by the occupants. I entered the cottage, and found Lizzy, Gabrielle, and Red in the living room.

"You guys!" I called.

Lizzy jumped up, crossed the room, and embraced me, "Bella! It feels like its been _forever_! How've you been?"

"Fine," I replied, "You?"

"Great! I'm hyped about the competition." She said confidently.

Gabrielle grinned, "There's no way that I'll lose."

"Same here." Red agreed. I smiled at my friends and joined them for dinner. We spent the night joking and laughing before going to bed. But even though they appeared to be sleeping, I found it difficult to do so. Instead, I gazed up at the moon as it hung in the night sky…

**The competition will be starting soon. Please review and I will update soon…**


	24. Chapter 24

**Now for the battle to begin. I will only go into detail about three of Bella's battles: her first, fourth, and fifth battles. The others will only be mentioned randomly. So, without further adieu, let's see if she will claim the title of Champion…or fail…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. **

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 23: Grass**

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_And enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

The next day soon arrived. I found myself standing amongst a large crowd of young trainers, gazing up at the central torch. Crowds of people surrounded us. I felt giddy inside as I stood there. Ash, Red, Gabrielle, and Lizzy were at my side. I could see that Gary was not far off. A girl dressed in a Greek outfit ran through the crowd with the torch in hand. Fireworks shot off in the sky as she ran up the stairs and prepared to light the torch. But two rogue figures appeared to take it. Ash and I recognized them immediately.

"Don't give them the flame!" But it was too late. James and Jessie took the torch. Ash ran up the metal stairs and began to argue with them. I could not hear them very clearly. I guessed that Wheezing appeared, because a Smoke Screen was used. Suddenly, a large robot appeared and lit the center torch, then took it from the stadium.

"_Ladies and gentlemen; the flame has been stolen by some kind of giant, mechanical monster!_" the commentator shouted.

The robot began to attack. Everyone ran out of its way to avoid being crushed. I would have been unlucky if something had not tackled me to the ground. I cocked my head so I could watch as Ash's Bulbasaur aided the flame in growing even stronger. I wanted to slap him. He was cornered and about to be cooked alive. I watched in horror as Team Rocket closed in on him. That was when I noticed the flame as it slowly came to life, and took on the shape of Moltres itself. _No way. _I thought as it attacked the robot. The mechanical marvel blew up, and Team Rocket vanished once more. I sighed in relief and looked up; Gary was hovering over me. I slapped him and shoved him away, "Back off, Oak!"

"I saved you." He replied.

I sighed, "Whatever. Its too early to argue with the likes of _you_." He got up and walked off, chuckling. I stood and waited for everything to calm down. Once everything was normal again, the tournament started. After a long speech, all of the trainers retired to the main lobby of the stadium. I hung on Goodshow's every word; that is what I did whenever I became excited about something like this.

I entered the lobby at the Village and sat down somewhere, feeling a little anxious. I went ahead and allowed her to check my pokédex so that she could verify my ID. I used my knowledge of the Pokemon League, which was obtained from my mother, to guess how to choose my opponent and the field. I pressed a button near a screen and watched as four different lights began to dance in circles. I waited until it came to a stop: the Grass field. I would be the fourth match. I got the time and went off to find something to do in the meantime.

I walked around the Village, examining the area and watching as other trainers passed by. I passed through a crowd of people and went on, only to stop when a hand and a pokeball appeared in front of me. I followed the arm until a person appeared in my peripheral vision. He had long, teal hair, light skin, and sharp, dark purple eyes. A bright red headband decorated his forehead. He wore flamboyant, mostly pink outfit. He smiled at me and turned the pokeball into a bouquet of roses, "Why is such a beautiful rose such as yourself in a place like this?" He said in an oddly accented voice.

"I'm a trainer in the League." I replied in a tone that suggested that he was not welcome.

He smiled, "Do you have a name?"

"Bella." I replied.

He nodded, "So elegant and refined. I am the famous Mandi Kom. Heard of me?"

"No." I said bluntly and walked away. I glanced back at him; I think I hurt his ego. Time was drawing to a close, so I returned to the lobby and sat down at a table. I could only use three pokemon, so I had to choose wisely. _It's a grass field, so land dwellers would be a good choice. Dewgong is out. I guess I'll use Charizard, for sure. Hmmm…maybe Pikachu would be good, too. I'll go with Arcanine as well. That settles it. _I placed my pokeballs on my hip and turned to the screen. Ash and that Mandi guy were about to battle each other. _Good luck, Ash. _I thought as the battle ensued.

It appeared as though they were on the water field. Mandi called out Executor, a grass-type. Ash's choice was his Krabby. Executor used a Psybeam, while Krabby used Harden to guard itself. Whirlpool caused the water-type to swirl in circles. I feared that Ash would be unable to win the battle, but then Krabby countered with a Vice Grip. It took control of the situation and knocked Executor unconscious. He won the first round. I was surprised to see that Krabby evolved into a Kingler. Mandi then called on Seadra, while Ash stuck with Kingler. A long battle ensued between the two water-types. Kingler struggled, but it managed to gain the upper hand and knock Seadra unconscious. Mandi recalled his second pokemon and called out the third: a Golbat. That pokemon was beaten easily; Ash won his first match.

I was happy to see a boy with such a large ego be defeated by a less experienced trainer. It showed that there was hope for Ash yet. They called my name over the intercom. I sighed and shakily rose to my feet. _Here we go. _I thought as I made my way to the grass-field. My body began to tremble when I arrived, and I shakily made my way onto the podium. _H-here I-I go. _I thought as I waited for my opponent to arrive.

My opponent arrived a second later. It was a young boy around the age of sixteen. He had short, dirty-blonde hair and wore a simply outfit. He grinned at me, ready to win the fight. I probably looked like a nervous wreck. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pokeball. I zoned out the commentator as he called out his first pokemon. He tossed the pokeball; a green bug-type called Scyther appeared. It was the one bug-type that I would consider catching. I reached towards my belt and called out Pikachu.

"_Trainer Bradley Stone from Celadon City will be fighting Isabella Vanielle from Pallet Town. Bradley's first pokemon is Scyther, while Isabella is starting with Pikachu!_"

I was annoyed by being called my real name, but I ignored it. Bradley gave the first order, "Fury Cutter!" Scyther flew at my pokemon and prepared to slice him in half.

"Evade! Thunderbolt!" Golden lightning shot from his crimson cheeks.

"Dodge!" Scyther slid to the side, "Wing Attack!" Its wings began to glow pure white as it flew at Pikachu and sliced open his side.

"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack!" He sped at Scyther and knocked it against the wall. "Now use Thunderbolt!" He quickly electrocuted the bug-type.

"Night Slash!" Scyther vanished from sight and cut Pikachu's back. It then reappeared and attempted a simple Slash.

Pikachu dodged, "Discharge!" A large storm of electricity swarmed the ground and engulfed Scyther from the legs up.

It cried out in pain and leapt out of the lightning, then used it razor sharp claws to knock Pikachu around like a pinball. "Pikachu!" I cried. "Dodge!" He escaped the wrath of Scyther by sliding away, "Shock Wave!" The attack paralyzed Scyther, "Now finish it with a Thunderbolt!" That attacked finished the deed. "Yes! Go Pikachu!" I cheered. I recalled him and prepared for the next opponent.

Bradley recalled Scyther and pulled out another pokeball. _What'll he choose next? _He reared his arm back, and tossed the ball into the air. A large, fluffy peach colored, round creature with strong arms and legs, and metal braces on both its wrists and ankles appeared. It was a Primeape. I grinned as I called out Arcanine. "Cross Chop!" Bradley commanded.

"Dodge!" Arcanine leapt to the side, "Fire Spin!" A tornado of flame flooded from his mouth and swirled around Primeape, successfully injuring it.

"Karate Chop!" Primeape took a chance to hit Arcanine while he was distracted, hitting him hard enough in the side to weaken him. "Thrash!" He began ruthlessly beating Arcanine without mercy.

I shook as I watched my pokemon be beaten senseless. _T-this can't be. _I thought in despair. I shook my head back to normal, "Combine Bite and Take Down!" Arcanine bit into Primeape's leg and slammed it against the ground, "Now get away from it!" Arcanine kicked Primeape away and sped across the field.

Bradley grit his teeth, "Mega Punch!" Primeape sped across the field after my fire-type.

"Fire Fang!" I ordered. Arcanine's mouth was filled with flames as he ran at Primeape and held it up, "Now use Seismic Toss!" He leapt into the air, twirled in a circle, and then chucked Primeape at the ground. The fighter-type landed on the grass with a loud crash, leaving a deep crater in its wake. "Now, finish it off with Fire Blast!" A flaming kanji flew from Arcanine's mouth and engulfed Primeape, knocking it unconscious.

Bradley recalled his fallen pokemon and prepared for the next. I praised Arcanine as I recalled him, and then called out Charizard. Bradley smirked as he tossed his pokeball into the air. Ivory light blossomed forth, and I watched as a large pokemon, the same height as Charizard, appeared. _He must've saved his strongest pokemon for last. _I thought as it appeared. A buff, brown and intimidating pokemon with sharp crimson eyes appeared. I pulled out my pokédex. _Kangaskhan, a normal-type. They are very kind and nurturing towards their young; but if you threaten their offspring, they will become fierce and attack. They live in jungle-like areas. _

_Looks strong. But Charizard can beat 'em. _I thought with confidence. "Comet Punch!" Kangaskhan went against her own size and flew at Charizard. Her punch sent him soaring across the arena and slamming into the wall.

Charizard recovered quickly, "Dragon Rage!" The mighty fireball sent Kangaskhan flying as it engulfed her.

"Crunch!" she ran at Charizard and bit in his arm. 

"Seismic Toss!" Charizard flew into the air and flung his opponent to the bottom of the stadium; she hit the ground with a mighty crash. "Now, use…"

"Water Pulse!" a strong water attack hit Charizard, wounding him badly.

I gritted my teeth. _Crap. _"Are you OK?" He got up and nodded, "Alright, use your Heat Wave attack!" A torrent of flames flew across the stadium and engulfed Kangaskhan. She roared and ran at him, then used an Outrage to up her strength as she attacked. Charizard dodged the attack, "Shadow Claw!" His claws turned black as he slashed at her side, "Now finish it with Iron Tail!" His tail began to glow white as he twirled around and whacked her across the arena.

"_And Bradley has lost, while Isabella is the winner! She will go on to the next round!_"

The crowd exploded with cheers. I stood there, staring at Bradley as he threw a hissy fit. My body began to tremble, and without thinking, I began to dance and scream with joy. "I DID IT! I WON THE FIRST ROUND! WOOHOO!!!" I cried. I jumped off of the stage and embraced Charizard's belly. He hugged me back with one arm and growled with delight. "WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!!!" It was amazing. I had never felt so excited or so proud of myself my entire life. After living through the applause and cheers, I recalled Charizard and returned to the Pokemon Center. There, I had Nurse Joy heal my tired pokemon and then sat, wanting to see the others battle.

After nearly twenty trainers, Ash was pit against another. It was another boy, and his first pokemon was a Nidorino. Ash called out his Squirtle. A deadly battled ensued, with Squirtle nearly being defeated. But it managed to get the upper hand and defeated the weak Nidorino. The match was too easy. After him, I was forced to go on for my second match. This one would be on the Rock Field. I battled another trainer who carried powerful pokemon. The ones I used this time were: Charizard, Arcanine, and Larvitar. I was proud of my little ground-type; he defeated his opponent so easily. Soon, night fell, and I returned to the Pokemon Center and rested there before dropping by a buffet that sold free food for trainers in the League. I ate my dinner there, and then retired to my bedroom for the night…

**She won two matches, but will she win the last three? That question will be answered in future chapters. Please review…**


	25. Chapter 25

**Please tell me if I accidentally use one quote more then once; I can hardly remember all of the ones of used so far. And yes, Larvitar will evolve someday. But that won't be for a long time. I will explain that in a few chapters. And here are the third and fourth matches…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 24: Ice**

"_Love takes up where knowledge leaves off_."

-Saint Thomas Aquinas

Lizzie, Red, and Gabrielle returned to the cottage late that night. They had battled long and fierce, and were exhausted as a result. I returned to bed after saying goodnight. The next morning arrived quickly. I leapt out of bed, took a shower, and changed into my usual attire before leaving the cottage. I took a stroll around the League Village until I found the same buffet from before; luckily, they were serving breakfast. I ate a few pancakes and one cinnamon roll before heading off to the stadium to see who I would fight next. From what the woman told me, my next opponent would be a boy named Ryan on the Water Field. I would be the third match. I went off in search of something to do until then. I ended up wandering aimlessly throughout the Village, until I decided to go watch the matches. I arrived just in time for Gary's match.

He was the second one, and was currently on his third. He called out his second pokemon, which turned out to be none other than my Nidorina; only now she was a Nidoqueen. His opponent was a Pidgeot. The two battled fiercely, until both were about to collapse; but my old Nidoqueen came through in the end, just as I expected. Gary recalled her and then used Blastoise for the final opponent. The last enemy was a Persian. It did not stand a chance against Blastoise, who defeated it easily. Gary seemed to bathe in the cheers as they came, and then left the field. I was then called forward.

I nervously made my way to the field and stepped onto the red podium. I stood there until Ryan made his entrance. He appeared as cocky as the last two opponents. I used Espeon first. He used his Golduck first. Our pokemon moved elegantly back and forth, both stopping each other's attacks expertly. But in the end, Espeon used her speed and strength to finish it off. Ryan's next pokemon was a Poliwrath; I decided to use Pikachu. Electric attacks helped end the battle quickly, seeing as all he had to do was electrocute the water. His last pokemon was Kingler, while mine was Dewgong. She used her strength and skill to defeat Kingler, even though it was extremely difficult with them being the same type and all. I cheered once more as I won my third match.

Next was Red. He was pit against a tomboyish girl. They were on the Grass Field. His first pokemon was a powerful Gengar. The girl, Hannah, used a Hypno. Their pokemon battled with expert skill, something I would not expect from the laid-back Red from Pallet Town. His next pokemon was a skilled Hitmonlee, while Hannah's was a Starmie. The two battled fiercely, as if their very lives depended on it. It was not too difficult for Hitmonlee to eliminate Starmie. The last fight ended with Red using his starter, Venusaur, and Hannah using a Porygon. Her electric-type was stronger than I expected. It almost defeated Venusaur, but the latter defeated it in the end. Red was allowed to move onto the fourth round.

Next was Lizzie. She used a powerful Raichu against her male opponent, Zack, who put his Mr. Mime to good use. The two battled like crazy, but Mr. Mime fell in the end. Lizzie recalled her Raichu and then summoned a Rapidash. Zack used his Cloyster, which gave him an advantage on the Ice field. The two battled with strength that was unseen before, but Rapidash was defeated in the end. Raichu returned and finished off Cloyster. But then Zack used an Alakazam, who finished off Raichu and her last pokemon, a Persian. Lizzie lost in the end; she took it with dignity, and calmly left the field. I felt sorry for her, but now I would be fighting for two people: both Lizzie and me.

Gabriel was next. His opponent was a boy named Alex. Gabriel used his Butterfree first. Alex called on his Dugtrio, as it was the Earth Field. A fierce battle broke out, and both pokemon went into a frenzy. Butterfree came out on top as Dugtrio was defeated. His next pokemon was his Persian. Alex called on his Muk, which caused a horrid smell to filter into the stadium. The poison-type defeated the powerful Persian as if it were a newborn Meowth, and then did the same to Butterfree. He then called out Ninetails. She dodged the attacks like a true fighter, but was defeated by Muk in the end. Now I had three people to fight for.

Next was Ash. He was in the Ice Field. First, he used his Kingler against his opponent's Cloyster. I feared that it would tire out due to Cloyster's guard, but in the end Kingler came out on top. However, it was defeated by the boy's Arcanine. Pikachu was chosen next. A long fight ensued, where Arcanine melted the field to trap Pikachu. But the electric type used the pool to weaken Arcanine, and shock it until it was unconscious.

The next fight was Gary's fourth match. He was pitted against a girl named Melissa. The battled fiercely, which ended with Blastoise being knocked out along with Nidoqueen. Last was Golem against Nidoking. The purple poison-type was defeated in the end, and Gary was eliminated from the League. I sighed and went to go meet him. I found both him and Ash outside of the lobby; Gary was sitting in his convertible, his cheerleaders were mourning his loss. I could see how crushed he was after his defeat; he tried to mask it behind a cocky smirk, but I could still see the hurt.

"Gary…" I whispered.

He smiled at me softly, "Hey, Bells. You've been doing great out there, but you're still not in _my _League. Too bad I was distracted by my lovely cheerleaders."

I sighed, "Don't kid yourself."

He looked at me and sighed. The fifteen-year-old jumped off of his red convertible and walked up to me. He stopped directly in front of me, grabbed my hand, and brought my palm to his lips. I blushed as Gary placed a kiss on my palm, and then pressed my palm to my cheek, "Hope it brings you good luck." He whispered before returning to his convertible and driving away.

Ash flashed a goofy grin at me, "Gary and Bella sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I…"

"Finish that sentence and I'll rip your vocal cords out." I hissed. Ash backed away in fear. I heard my name over the intercom, and went on to the stadium.

The Ice Field was already fixed. I awaited my next opponent, which was a girl named Clary. I called out my Pikachu, and waited for her to call on her own pokemon. It was a…Jigglypuff. I fought to keep from laughing. _This should be easy enough. _"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" I called. Golden electricity shot from his cheeks and nearly engulfed Jigglypuff, but it moved away with surprising speed.

Clary grinned, "Mega Punch!" Jigglypuff leapt into the air and landed near the ground; Pikachu dodged before it could hit. Surprisingly, there was a deep crater left. Pikachu began sprinting for dear life as Jigglypuff created more craters around the field.

_Holy crap! That pokemon is on freakin steroids! _I thought as I searched for a way out. I came to a decision. "Pikachu, keep running forward and don't turn until I say!" I ordered. He did so and began speeding towards the iced rock. It appeared as though he were about to hit it, but then I ordered him to detour. He turned away so that Jigglypuff hit the rock. "Now use Discharge!" Lightning engulfed it, and easily wounded the Jigglypuff.

"Rollout!" Clary called. It curled into a ball and rapidly rolled towards the Pikachu, knocking him against the wall.

Pikachu regained his bearings, "Thunderbolt!" Lightning electrocuted Jigglypuff again. "Now Quick Attack!" He sped at it and knocked it against the wall.

"Double Slap!" Just as the name said, it slapped Pikachu twice, "Now use your Pound attack, Sweetie!" Jigglypuff slammed Pikachu into the ice cold ground.

"Bite!" Pikachu bit into its body, "Now Slam it against the ground!" He managed to knock the wind out of Jigglypuff.

"Ice Beam!" a frozen beam shot from its mouth and hit Pikachu.

He was about to faint at any second, "Try one more Thunder Shock!" The lightning attack finished Jigglypuff off. I sighed in relief and recalled my tired electric-type.

My next pokemon was Espeon. Her next pokemon was a Starmie. "Use your Take Down Attack!" I called. Espeon ran at it and knocked it away.

"Rapid Spin!" Starmie flew across the field and slammed into my psychic-type, and then she hit the wall, "Now use Hyper Beam!" A golden light was shot forward, but Espeon moved.

"Good, now use Psychic!" She lifted Starmie into the air and began to slam it against the frozen ground without mercy. She stopped when I ordered her to.

"Water Pulse!" Espeon dodged the attack.

"Swift!" Golden stars knocked Espeon back. "Now Last Resort!" She managed to use this attack to knock it unconscious. I praised her, and then recalled her. My last pokemon was Arcanine.

Clary sighed as she called on her final pokemon; which turned out to be a Tauros. "Thrash!" Tauros attacked Arcanine with surprising speed, and knocked him against a wall.

"Fire Blast!" a burning kanji hit Tauros was unseen force, wounding it.

"Horn Attack!" Arcanine slid to the side to avoid the attack. The two pokemon began exchanging blows, roaring and grunting as they did so.

I narrowed my eyes as I glanced around the field. Finally, I came to a decision. "Arcanine, use Fire Spin on the field!" He roared as he did so, and melted the entire field except for one block of ice. Tauros kicked its legs as it tried to float. It was finished. Clary admitted defeat and recalled her pokemon before stalking off of the field. I soaked in the cheers and followed Arcanine back to the Pokemon Center. There I rested before returning to the lobby to watch Ash's battle. His opponent was a girl named Jeanette Fisher. She put on quite a show as she entered; her outfit consisted of flowing kimonos.

Her first pokemon was a Beedrill. Ash called out his Bulbasaur. They fighting on the Grass Field. The two pokemon battled it out, but it was easy for Bulbasaur to defeat Beedrill. Scyther was more of a challenge, but the grass-type came out as the winner in the end. However, it was defeated by Jeanette's Bellsprout, which was a surprise. Her grass-type made quick work of Pikachu. But it was defeated by Ash's Muk in the end. I was so glad that I was not in a the audience when he called out Muk. After the battles, I returned to the restaurant to eat some dinner before going to bed at the cottage…

**Bella's next battle is in the next chapter. Please review and I will update soon…**


	26. Chapter 26

**And now to see how her next battle will end. Will Bella come out on top? Let's see…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 25: Learning **

"_To imagine is everything_

_To know is nothing at all_."

-Anatole France

I was lying on my bed, gazing up at the ceiling. I blinked a few times, but I seemed to have been entranced by it. In reality, however, I was thinking deeply of how far I had come. _A year ago, I was just a simple preteen living in Pallet Town. I was attending school and living a boring, average life. My dreams seemed so far off. But then, I sent that letter and was admitted into the League as an official trainer. And then Professor Oak gave me Charmander, my very first pokemon. I left to achieve a difficult dream. As time went on, I caught a Nidoran, who evolved into Nidorina, and then gave her to Gary. Then I caught Pikachu, who has become quite powerful for a pokemon of his species. I raised a Growlithe to a powerful Arcanine, and owned a Lapras for a short time. I hatched a Larvitar, and am now taking care of another egg. I raised a Seel to Dewgong, and then raised an Eevee to an Espeon. And…I raised a difficult pokemon, Charmander, to Charmeleon and then now a Charizard. _I smiled softly as I gazed up at the moon. _I think I've accomplished a lot when you through the ship wreck, giant pokemon island, Team Rocket, and earning eight badges in there. But…will I become the Champion? _I closed my eyes, and slowly fell into a deep slumber…

The morning arrived after a never-ending night. I awoke and quickly took a shower before changing into my usual attire and heading for the buffet. I consumed my breakfast there, and sprinted towards the lobby. I stopped when I ran into my mother, Red, Gabriel, Lizzie, Delia, Professor Oak, Pikachu, Ash, Brock, Irina, Misty, and Togepi at the doors. Well, I was forced to stop, really. Irina used a hand to catch me and then give me one of her deadly noogies. "OW! OW! That hurts!" I cried as I shoved her away.

She laughed, "Calm down, kid," and looked down at me, "You've been doing a really great job. Better than I expected."

I was about to spit something at her, but then my mother embraced me; "You've been doing so well honey! I knew that you would be a skilled pokemon trainer!"

"That's right. Everyone in Pallet is cheering for you and Ash now that Gary has been defeated." Professor Oak added.

"Have you guys been in the stands the entire time?" I asked.

My mother nodded, "Of course. I will always be there to cheer you on, sweetie."

Irina scratched her cheek, "Seriously, I was surprised that you mastered a Charizard so well. Arcanine is believable, seeing as they are loyal to their trainers and all. But Charizard…that's a magnificent feat for you."

"Can't you praise me without insulting me?" I asked flatly.

She smiled, "Nope." I rolled my eyes.

"I've decided to cook for everyone as a celebration!" Delia announced.

One of Ash's eyebrows rose, "How?" Irina and Delia grinned evilly as they led us to one of the tallest buildings in the Village. After finding a seat, they went to the kitchen and began to cook everyone's food. We all sighed at how embarrassing they were.

"This will either end well…" Brock muttered.

"…or very badly." Ash finished. Even the cooks were baffled. They were not used to their customers cooking their own meals. The breakfast was delicious; Irina was a really good cook, and Delia taught her everything she knew. I ate a delicious, home cooked meal with my friends that day. Laughter filled the room as we ate; afterwards, we all made our way to the elevator. Before going down, a brunette in a bright green jumpsuit entered the elevator.

He stopped inside and looked down at Pikachu, "Awesome, a Pikachu. Who's is it?"

"Mine." Ash said.

The boy smiled, "Your Ash Ketchum, right?" He nodded, "Hi, I'm Ritchie Hiroshi. I'm a big fan of yours," the elevator stopped, but it was not at a floor. It was stuck. We began to panic, but Ritchie cleared the situation as he took out two cords, "Ash, can I borrow your Pikachu?" He nodded. He used the electric's static to charge the elevator, and get us to the bottom floor. "Thanks for the help, see'ya." Ritchie said as he ran off.

Professor Oak scratched his chin thoughtfully, "He's very mature for a boy his age." Ritchie must have been either fourteen or fifteen.

Misty nodded, "Yeah. Unlike a certain _other _boy we all know."

"What's _that _supposed to mean!?" Ash growled angrily. I just laughed at the two. After that, we returned to the lobby to watch the other matches. Red was flying right through them; he was a very skilled trainer, and I wondered whether I would fight him or not. While waiting, someone began shouting over a megaphone:

"_All pokemon trainers! You are hereby ordered to hand over your pokemon for inspection!_" a familiar voice called. I ran outside, and found two familiar people.

A woman was holding the megaphone, "_Give your pokeballs to the blue-haired man with the bag!_"

_Jessie and James! _I thought as I approached them. I pulled off all six of my pokeballs and prepared to drop them in the bag. James seemed to realize that I was about to expose him before I even put my plan into action. I was thwarted when an electric shock went throughout my body and paralyzed me, causing me to drop my pokeballs into the bag involuntarily. I stood there like a statue as he walked away, quietly chuckling. _No! _I slowly crumpled to the ground and laid there. Trainers were scammed into giving their pokemon to Team Rocket, and did not notice the truth until it was too late. The trio escaped with all of our pokemon. No-one noticed my petrified state until Red tripped over my frozen body. I fell limp at the point, and simply could not move. Lizzie, being as strong as she was, carried me back to the cottage with Red at her side.

Everyone was at the cottage. They were all racked with worry. I asked them what was wrong; they told me that Ash had gone after Team Rocket. Then sun set, and yet the boy did not return. He was not there in the morning, either. I found it hard to sleep, because I felt as though I had failed my pokemon. Why? Well, anyway would feel like a failure if they were tricked by Neanderthals like Jessie, James, and Meowth. They were the most incompetent Rockets I knew, next to Hutch and Cassidy. Now I realized how low my IQ really was. By the morning, I had regained my mobility, and joined the others they went on a search for Ash and Ritchie.

We found them along the roadside with all of our pokemon. It did not take me long to find all of my pokeballs, and I was relieved to have them again. We returned to the League, and I helped distribute the other pokeballs. Afterwards, we went back to the lobby to see who Ash would fight. How ironic it was to see that it was his new friend: Ritchie. I watched as the boys silently left the building. I sighed and left as well, wanting to find something else to do…

Hours passed by, and I soon found myself reading the League's database on other pokemon trainers on the computer, in my cottage. _Ritchie looks tough. He hasn't lost any pokemon, and has only used the same three throughout all of his battles. _I wondered if I would have to face him or Red…maybe even both. I sighed and went to bed…

I awoke the next morning and prepared to two friends as they battled. It took a few hours, but the battle soon began. Ritchie was standing in the arena, waiting for his opponent. For some reason, Ash was taking too long. Finally, Misty ran onto the field and began arguing with Ritchie. She went as far as to stomp on his foot. The sun was already setting, and he still was not there. _Where are you Ash? _I was sitting beside Professor Oak, with my mother on the other side. My other friends, and sister, along with Ash's mother, were there. Ritchie had to beg the referee to give Ash ten more minutes.

"Your son has excellent taste in friends, doesn't he?" Professor Oak mused.

Delia smiled proudly, "He sure does."

Suddenly, Ash dropped from the sky and landed in the arena. His Pidgeotto looked pooped. The crowd cheered, and the commentator began yelling into his microphone. Ritchie's first pokemon was his Butterfree, which was nicknamed Happy. Ash called on his Squirtle. Happy and Squirtle began exchanging blows.

"Sleep Attack!" Ritchie ordered. Squirtle fell asleep due to the green powder, and Ash was forced to recall him.

Pikachu was next. It began exchanging blows with Happy, unwilling to lose. One Thunderbolt was all it took to defeat it. Ritchie recalled his bug-type. He pulled out another pokeball and called out a Charmander nicknamed Zippo. Zippo began using Flamethrower, forcing Pikachu to dodge the attack. Charmander used a powerful Tackle after wearing Pikachu down, and defeated it. Ash had only one pokemon left. There was a pregnant pause. Ash then called out his disobedient Charizard. The fully evolved pokemon defeated his lesser form, Zippo. Ritchie sighed and recalled Zippo, then summoned his own Pikachu, Sparky. It appeared as though there were about to be a battle, but then Charizard just curled up for a nap. No matter how much Ash begged, his fire-type would not obey him. I thought that Ash was about to cry, but instead he shook his opponent's hand. The crowd cheered, as did I. I cheered for both of them, to help encourage them both to grow stronger.

Afterwards, we all returned to the lobby. Ash's mind seemed to be in a distant place as he gazed around the room. I grabbed a fishing pole and pulled out a Magikarp. I waited for my opponent to appear on the screen. My jaw dropped when I saw that it was Ritchie. The boy turned to look at me, "Your Bella Vanielle." He said.

I nodded, "Yeah. And your Ritchie, right? You were really great out there."

"Thanks…well…I hope for a good match tomorrow." He said, turned, and left.

I nodded and shouted, "Same here!" I sighed and bid farewell to the others before running off to the cottage. I ran inside and flopped onto my bed, with my arms under the back of my head.

Lizzie entered and sat beside me, "Are you OK, Bella?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

One of her eyebrows rose, "You don't look like it. Are you nervous?"

"Yeah," I admitted. I hesitated, "Lizzie?" she looked down at me, "How did it feel when you lost?"

She sighed, "Well, it hurt a little. But I was proud of everything, and felt that it was worthwhile in the end."

"I see…" I nodded. _I just need to brace myself for failure. _I thought as I closed my eyes, and slowly fell asleep…

The next morning arrived too quickly. I got up, took a shower, and changed into my usual outfit. I left the cottage and ate a quick breakfast at the buffet before heading for the stadium. I stood there until Ritchie arrived. We both bowed to each other before backing to the opposite sides. Ritchie reached into his pocket, and threw his pokeball. Happy was first. I called out Espeon.

"Use your Quick Attack!" I commanded.

"Counter with Tackle attack!" Happy and Espeon collided, and were forced to their original spots.

"Last Resort!" I called.

"Sleep Powder!" Green powder slowly lulled my psychic-type to sleep. She fell to the ground, unable to continue. I growled and recalled her.

I reached for my belt and called out Larvitar, "Dark Pulse!" Black rings engulfed his next pokemon, which was Zippo. It wounded the fire-type, but it quickly recovered and used a Metal Claw on my ground-type.

"Thrash!" Larvitar began to wildly beat the fire-type into the ground.

"Bite! And then Slam!" Ritchie called. His pokemon caught mine and threw him against the ground, "Now Flamethrower!" The attack engulfed Larvitar.

"Earthquake!" His attack would have been effective had Zippo not dodged the attack.

"Slam, and then Flamethrower!" My jaw fell as Larvitar was knocked unconscious. I quickly recalled him and called on Pikachu.

Ritchie's next pokemon was Sparky, "Quick Attack!"

"Quick Attack!" We both called. Our pokemon began to collide constantly, unwilling to give in. It felt like hours before they stopped, both exhausted. "Finish with Body Slam!"

"Thunderbolt!" I cried, but it was no use. My Pikachu was knocked unconscious. I lost. Devastation was first, as I fell to my knees and gazed at my fallen pokemon. I whimpered slightly, but held it in and rose to my feet. I walked to Pikachu and lifted him into my arms, "Good job, boy." I whispered as I made my way to Ritchie. I shook his hand, "Win the League for me." He nodded. I turned and went on to the Pokemon Center…

I got over my loss, and decided to cheer Ritchie on. Unfortunately, he lost to a girl later on. By the end of the day, Red was crowned as the League Champion. Everyone went to have a dinner to celebrate his victory, and then the trainers returned to stadium for the ending ceremony. I listened to the announcer as I entered and received a badge for participating in the League. After the fireworks and people were gone, I bid farewell to Ritchie, Lizzie, and Gabriel before returning to little Pallet. Images of all of my adventures danced across my vision. I proudly returned home with my mother, feeling as though I had accomplished something special…

**Indigo has come to an end. But Bella's adventures will continue on to Johto. Please review and I will update soon…**


	27. Chapter 27

**Now for a quick break, and to give Bella some time to make a few tough decisions. Some Gary/Bella fluff, too…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 26: Decisions **

"_Love does not begin and end the way we_

_Think it does. _

_Love is a battle, love is a war…_

_Love is growing up_."

-James A. Baldwin

The trip back to Pallet was not as dismal as I thought it would be. It was nice and relaxing instead. We returned home, and I found myself drifting back to the bedroom that I had left behind. I fell onto my comfortable bed and closed my eyes; a sigh escaped my mouth as I relaxed. Charizard escaped his pokeball and curled up on the floor; he slowly fell asleep, relieved to be a place that smelled so much like me. I slowly drifted away into a blissful sleep…

The next morning arrived after nearly five years. Or that's how it felt to me. For the first time in a long time, I was able to sleep in. When morning arrived, instead of just hopping out of bed and rushing to get dressed, I just laid there and gazed at the morning sun. Once again, images of my entire adventure danced across my vision. _I've been through so much. _I thought. _But now I'm back in little, quiet Pallet Town. _I sighed. _But…after going on such an adventure, is this where I really want to be? _I sat up and looked down at Charizard; he was asleep on the floor. I slowly stepped on the floor, crept past the snoozing fire-type, across the hall, and into the bathroom. I stopped in front of the mirror. I gazed into the mirror, and for the first time, I noticed how long my hair was. It was long enough that could I tie it back.

I brushed my teeth and left the bathroom. When I returned to my bedroom, I found that Charizard was gone. I stared at the floor where he had been and then quickly went downstairs. I found him in the kitchen with my mother and Irina. Mom turned to me and smiled, "Good morning, Bella," she was sitting at the kitchen table, with Charizard knelt down on the floor beside her, "Your Charizard is so tame and kind." She said as she stroked his head. He growled in delight.

I smiled, "Morning, and thanks." I noticed that there was a lack in breakfast, which was strange.

Irina seemed to read my mind, "And if you're wondering where the breakfast is, well, we're eating at Professor Oak's party. So get ready."

I nodded and ran upstairs. I dropped by my bedroom and picked out a new outfit. Before getting dressed, I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Now that was clean, I stepped out and began getting dressed. My pants consisted of a pair of denim, dark blue shorts to cover my rear and pelvis area. White socks that went to the bottom end of my thighs were next. After that, I slipped on white and black sneakers. A medium-sleeved, form-fitting, white hoodie with a black tank-top underneath covered my torso. I tied a silver, Celtic cross around my neck, and then tied my hair back. I brushed my teeth again and quickly ran downstairs.

Irina and Mom were already dressed, so we left almost immediately. They decided to walk while I decided to fly on Charizard's back. I leapt onto his back, and he took off into the air. His powerful wings flapped as he fly up the large hill and to the back of Professor Oak's laboratory and home. He landed directly in the middle of the party. I jumped off and looked around. There were tables full of food were everywhere. Nearly everyone in Pallet was attending the party. Professor Oak must have noticed me, because he walked up to me to greet me, "That was quite an entrance, Bella."

I grinned at him, "Hi, Professor Oak. I've just been so used to traveling on Charizard's back, so it's kinda an old habit."

"Yes," he nodded and then looked at my starter, "You have raised an excellent Charizard. You did much better than Ash; oh, and I'm not trying to be rude. But he did slip on his, didn't he?"

I nodded, "Just a tad. But I'm sure that Charizard will warm up to him soon." _Or at least I hope it will. But there is something familiar about that pokemon…where have I seen it before? _

"You did a very good job out there, Bella," Professor Oak said, "And I hope that you will improve with whatever new adventure you face next."

I smiled and nodded, "I will," I glanced around, "Where's Gary?"

"He's getting ready to leave for another adventure." He replied.

"What? Where is he?"

"At his house."

"Okay, thanks," I leapt onto Charizard's back, "To Gary's house!" He roared and took off into the air. My starter flew over the small town and landed in front of the house that was not too far from my own. I jumped off his back, ran up to the door, and ran the doorbell. It opened, revealing a young seventeen-year-old girl.

"Huh? Oh, Bella," It was Daisy, Gary's older sister. She smiled, "How are you doing?"

"Fine. I talk to Gary?"

"Sure." She stepped aside and allowed me to enter the house. I ran upstairs I stopped by his bedroom, and found Gary in there. I was packing his bag.

"Gary." He turned to me, a little surprised to see me.

He stood and fully turned so that I could see him, "Hey, Bells."

"I heard that you were leaving for another journey." I said as I glanced around his bedroom and entered.

"Yeah. The little quiet life in Pallet just isn't enough for me." Gary said as he glanced around his own bedroom.

I nodded, "Same here." _I just wonder how many places I should go before I'm ready to settle down. _

"I'm not sure where I'm going." Gary muttered.

"Same." I sighed.

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, you could consider going to Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh. I heard that the Silver Conference is going to start soon, in one month. I'm gonna go train my pokemon so they'll be ready."

"Silver Conference…" I muttered, "…well, good luck with your new adventure."

Gary walked up to me and embraced me, catching me off guard, "Take care Bella." He whispered. I hesitated, and found myself hugging him back. We stood there like that for a few minutes.

I realized how embarrassing the situation was, and quickly shoved him away, "U-uh…you, too Gary." I gave him and thumbs up and blushed as I looked away. I ran to his window to his window and jumped out; Charizard was waiting for me, so I safely landed on his back. Gary waved to me as I flew back to Professor Oak's.

My starter landed in his backyard, and I jumped down. I met Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi there. "Hey guys!" I waved.

"Bella!" Ash called, "Congrats on the making the top sixteen with me." he high-fived me. I did the same.

"Same for you." I smiled.

Professor Oak cleared his throat. He, Delia, and Mom were standing at the front of the backyard, "Today we are here to celebrate the endeavors of our town's young pokemon trainers. First, for Gary, Bella, and Ash; they went so far, and represented us in the League. And last, is the new Champion of the Indigo League: Taylor Sykes."

Everyone clapped for all four of us, even though Gary was absent. After that, there was a toast, and the party began. "Hey everyone," Misty said, "How about you call out your pokemon. After all, they deserve as much thanks as you do."

I nodded, "Great idea!" I reached for belt and threw all of my pokeballs into the air. Pikachu, Arcanine, Larvitar, and Espeon appeared on the ground. Dewgong appeared in a nearby pond.

Ash called out Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pidgeotto. Misty called out Staryu and Starmie, while Brock called on Vulpix, Onix, and Geodude. Everyone went to the tables and began grabbing as much food as they could; voices filled the yard. "I'll go get some food." Ash said as he ran off to some food stands. He returned with several bags of food, and set it out on the table.

Misty fixed some of it onto a few plates, and then distributed the food to all of our pokemon. I grabbed the plate and took a bite. It was so good, or that's what I thought until my mouth felt as though it were on fire. I cried out in surprise and dropped my plate onto the table, "WATER!!!"

Ash's pokemon, and Brock, were the next victims. Misty had her Staryu use it water-gun to cool us off. I turned to Ash and glared at him, "What was _that _for!?"

"What do you mean? Can't you guys stand a little heat?" Ash said as he took a bite. There was a moment's delay, but soon he was screaming like a little girl. Squirtle helped cool him down. "What's with this food?" There was an explosion, and we all looked up and found that Jessie, James, and Meowth were in their odd looking balloon again. James was wearing rubber gloves as he held Ash's Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" The raven-haired boy cried.

I rolled my eyes, "What're you morons doing here?"

"We're taking Pikachu, of course." Jessie said

I glared at them, "Can't you just go to Viridian Forest and catch your own!?"

"No!" They called back in a singsong voice.

I rolled my eyes and turned to Charizard. Only he was not there, "Huh? Where's Charizard?"

"I sent him on an errand." Delia replied.

I slapped my forehead. _This can't be happening. _I thought. "Pidgeotto, help Pikachu!" Ash called. His bird-type flew upwards to aid his electric-type, but it was thwarted by a bomb that Team Rocket had thrown. It fell to the ground and to Ash's arms. His other pokemon tried to help, but there was little good that they could do. Ash grabbed a pokeball at his belt.

I realized who he was about to choose, "No wait! Think wisely, Ash!"

"But I need it," He said as he called on his own Charizard. "Save Pikachu!"

The Charizard glanced around, shrugged, and went off to go eat something. Ash dropped to the ground; he was crestfallen. I sighed. _Charizard, where are you? _I wondered as Team Rocket began chucking more bombs at us. I dodged all of them, but was too slow to save myself from at least one. Luckily, my Charizard arrived and scooped me off of the ground before I could be injured. He flew into the air, and I climbed onto his back, "Thanks buddy. Now lets…" I stopped when there was an enraged roar.

Ash's Charizard soared into the air and straight at Team Rocket' balloon. They stared at it, and then desperate began chucking bombs at it. Charizard used its wing to deflect the bombs and hurl them back at Team Rocket. Pikachu fell from the balloon as it exploded and onto Charizard's back. The enraged fire-type turned around and began soaring back and forth, ruining the party. I sighed as my Charizard landed on the ground. Ash recalled his monstrosity, looking very sheepish and generally embarrassed…

After helping clean up Professor Oak's backyard, I went to celebrate with Ash and others in the forest somewhere. Now the sun was setting and I was lying in the grass, gazing at the sky. Ash was leaving for the Orange Islands, while I stayed in Pallet. I was thinking of the Johto League. _If I leave for Johto, and then I can see all knew pokemon. But…would starting off with strong and battle ready pokemon be fair? No…that's not exciting. _It was a difficult decision, but I decided that in a month I would participate in the Johto League. I jumped off and ran back to my house…

**Now, one more filler, and then the Johto League shall begin…**


	28. Chapter 28

**Okay, this is Bella's last adventure with her original pokemon. After this chapter, she'll get all new pokemon in Johto...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 27: Elements **

"_Human beings, who are almost unique in_

_having the ability to learn from the_

_experience of others, _

_are also remarkable for their apparent _

_disinclination to do so_."

-Douglas Adams

I quickly took a shower and got dressed into my new outfit. I hardly wasted any time running down the stairs and dropping by the kitchen. There, I ate a quick sandwich and then left my house. I called out Charizard, and he flew into the air with me on his back. He soared towards the south of Pallet until we reached the boat station. I jumped off and recalled him, and then quickly got a ticket and jumped onto a small, yet cozy boat. I was waiting for the boat to leave, when a familiar duo got on. One was unfamiliar. I stood up and smiled, "Ash!"

"Bella? What're you doing here?" The raven-haired boy asked.

"I'm going to Shamouti Island. You?" I stood up and hugged him.

He hugged me back, "Same here. I heard there's this really great party."

"Yeah, that's why I'm going," I paused and looked at the newcomer, "I'm Bella Vanielle. You are?"

He had short, messy black hair and deeply tanned skin. His had black irises, and wore a bright red headband. He wore a baggy, light green t-shirt with brown shorts, and blue and gray sneakers, "Tracey Sketchit. Nice to meet you."

"Same," I turned to Ash and Misty, "Where's Brock?"

Misty sighed, "He's staying with his girlfriend, Professor Ivy, in the Orange Islands."

"I see." Things had changed so fast. Nearly a month has past since I last saw Ash. I was training with my pokemon in Pallet, waiting for the Johto League to start. It would be starting soon, and I decided to drop by Shamouti Island. It was an island in the Orange Archipelago that threw a party every summer to celebrate the elemental guardians. I was surprised to see that Ash would be attending the festival, along with our other friends (excluding Brock).

A woman with long, dark green hair and red eyes stepped out from the inside of the boat. She wore a bright red and orange jumpsuit, "I'm Maren Michiko, and I'll be your captain today. Just stand by and I'll get you to the islands quickly." She jumped up to the steering wheel, and revved up the boat. The quickly began moving away from the station. I sat down and watched as the station vanished behind us; I was anticipating the moment that I would return to Shamouti Island. This was the same area that I first met the Legendary Water Bird, Lugia. The sun was shining above us, warming us with its golden rays. The water was calm and crystal clear.

"It's so beautiful." Misty mused.

Tracey looked at Ash, "Do you think we have enough time to give our pokemon some fresh air?"

Maren turned to him, "Yup. We have plenty of time until we reach Shamouti Island."

"Well, then, let's go!" Ash grabbed his pokeballs and tossed them into the air. Squirtle appeared, and jumped into the water. Bulbasaur was next; it sat down somewhere and fell asleep. Lapras was th next pokemon; it was happy to get some fresh air after being in a cramped pokeball.

Tracey called out an elderly Scyther, and then his Marill, which was a blue mouse, and his Venonat. Misty called on her Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, Horsea, and Psyduck. The dopey duck walked around in a mindless daze, as usual. I went ahead and called out all of my pokemon. Charizard roared, and then took flight. He began flying in circles in the sky, stretching out his wings. Dewgong went to play with the other water-types, and Espeon curled up to go sunbathing. Pikachu was playing Ash's Pikachu, and Arcanine was napping near Bulbasaur. Larvitar was too scared of water to come out. Tracey was busy sketching the scene out. Ash tried to call his Charizard out, but it was causing too much trouble so he recalled it. I noticed that it was tamer than before, though. He then tried to call on his Snorlax, but it was too heavy so he recalled it.

I sat down beside Tracey. He was focused on sketching the scene, "You're really good." I said.

"Thanks." Tracey said as he continued. The pokemon were so happy that they were given the chance to enjoy the sun. I was busy admiring Tracey's drawing when I heard thunder ahead. I looked towards it, and found that a storm was brewing. The water changed from calm to angry, and I was forced to brace myself on the side of the boat. I quickly recalled Charizard, Espeon, Arcanine, Dewgong, and Pikachu. Misty recalled Staryu, Starmie, Psyduck, Goldeen, and Horsea. Tracy recalled Scyther, Marill, and Venonat. Then Ash recalled Lapras, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. The storm continued, until it finally calmed and we were sailing once again. The boat rocked as the island came into view.

"We're still on course," Maren announced, "And we're right in the middle of the Orange Islands. We'll be there in a sec."

"Okay." I called back. _That was so weird…and…something is off. _I thought as I gazed up at the sky. The boat landed on the beach, and we all quickly jumped off.

"We sure are lucky," Ash said as he dusted himself off, "If we crashed, then we'd be in a lot of trouble."

Tracey jumped in fear, "I think we still might be!" He pointed at something. I turned, and smiled when I saw a horde of people dressed in traditional costumes. I seemed to have been the only one that was not freaking out.

"Carol!" Maren called.

One of the masked figures stripped off their mask, revealing a young woman with short, dark brown hair, "Maren! How are you?"

"Fine and its great to see you again." Maren said as she jumped off of the boat.

Carol looked around at us, "What're you doing back on Shamouti Island?"

"We got caught up in that storm, and we came to see the festival." The green-haired woman explained.

"Yup, the annual Legend Festival is about to begin." Carol seemed excited.

Maren made a flute gesture, "So are you the star of the show again?"

"No. That's my little sister," The woman said, "I wonder where she…"

"I'm right here!" We all looked to the source of the voice. There was a young girl with long dark brown hair tied back into two pigtails nearby, "I'm only one who's not in some stupid costume. You'd think you guys would have out grown this dorky ritual." She looked bored.

"You should be honored to take part!" Carol scolded.

The girl rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I'll be there."

Carol sighed, "That's my little sister, Melody. But she's not always this charming, so don't worry." She said sarcastically. She looked at us, "Who're you?"

"This Ash and Bella, they're pokemon trainers. And then that's Tracey and Misty." Maren said.

"Pokemon trainer!? WHOOO!!!" the crowd cheered.

Ash and I were surprised by how enthusiastic the crowd was. A man in a dramatic bird costume stomped up to us, "The ancient legend foretells your arrival, and only you can vanquish the guardians of elements!" the old man said, "For only you, oh Chosen One, the fate of the world rests in your hands."

We just stared at him. He chuckled, "Don't worry kids; it's just for the tourists," His beak fell over his face, "Blasted beak." He muttered.

Melody ran up to us, "So your pokemon trainers, huh?" She inspected us, "Not too bad. You have a good sense of style," she said to me, and then she looked at Ash, "And you're pretty cute yourself." She kissed him on the cheek. I could sense that Misty was jealous, "Are you his little sister?"

"I am not!" she spat.

"Oh, then you must be his girlfriend." She suggested.

Misty hissed, "Ew gross! No way!"

Melody turned away, "Cool. Well, the festival starts at eight, don't be late. And Misty, try not to get jealous." She walked away.

Everyone cheered, and we followed them into the town. Hours past, and soon night fell as we went to the town hall to celebrate. I sat down at the many tables, in the beautifully decorated room to eat dinner with the others. Misty was dwelling on what Melody said, while Ash was conversing with Tracey. Talk ended as a beautiful, yet familiar and soothing song filled the room. We all turned and found Melody in a gorgeous white dress, blowing on a flute and doing a dance. My head rocked back and forth as I listened to gorgeous song.

She ran up to Ash and I, "Here ye all, from the trio of islands ancient spheres shall you take, and all of the different you'll make," she knelt down in front of us. She grabbed Ash's hand, and I could tell that she was speaking mostly to him, "Oh Chosen One, you must climb to the shrine and right was is wrong, and you shall heal the world with the guardian song."

I understood the task. Go to the three main islands and take three spheres. Simple enough. Sadly, Ash was not very bright upstairs, "So what do I do?"

"I just told you Ash." Melody giggled.

"Yeah, but what do I have to do?"

She smiled, "Oh it won't be very hard Ash, not for you," she glared at me, "And besides, almost all of the Chosen Ones come back alive."

"Melody!" Carol scolded.

She laughed, "Anyway, all you have to do is get these three glass balls from the islands. One from Fire Island, one from Ice Island, and one from Lightning Island. And you bring them to the shrine back here," she stood up, "And then, I celebrate by playing this song." She played her flute for emphasis.

"Do I get to wear a cool costume?" Ash asked.

Melody shook her head, "Sorry, but it's a 'come as you' are type thing. And besides, you're the handsomest chosen one in years." She bit into a an fruit.

Ash jumped up, "Okay, get me a boat and I'm ready!"

"Oh, there's no reason to go now. Stay and have some fun." Melody insisted.

"But there are things more important than fun!" Ash said as he walked away. He was about to leave, but Pikachu stole his hat and forced Ash to chase it. Maren and I ran after it and quickly boarded the boat. Maren started her boat and took off into the ocean. She began speeding straight towards our target. _Here we go. _I thought as Fire Island came into view. It began to storm once again. We were forced to hold onto the boat as it fought to reach the island.

"I hope the legend ceremony doesn't include a funeral!" Ash muttered. There was something horribly wrong with the balance. Storms were arriving too quickly; for some reason, I had a feeling that it had something to do with the legendary birds. The storm ended, but the water was still enraged. It was throwing our boat around without mercy. Ash grabbed onto me and helped brace me as we neared the island. The water lifted us upwards, and the boat crashed onto the land.

We fell out of the boat. Maren sat up and stroked her head, "At least we made it, but…"

Ash did not wait for her to finish. He jumped up and took off running. I quickly sprinted after him, "Ash wait!"

"Pikachus been acting real weird, and I wanna find out why!" He called back as he followed his Pikachu. I followed him down a pair of steps and towards what appeared to be an ancient rock pillar. Pikachu stopped near the pillar and gestured to the stone. There was glowing glass sphere, with a glowing flame inside. Ash reached for it, and struggled to pull it out. I grabbed the sphere and helped him. Once we got it, we followed Pikachu back to the stairs.

"Guess who Pikachu." A familiar looking Meowth said.

Team Rocket was at the top of the stairs. "Prepare for more trouble than you've ever seen." Jessie said.

"And make it double, we're on the big screen." James added.

"Move it!" I interrupted.

"Yeah. We're in a hurry, and the weathers getting pretty bad." Ash hissed.

Jessie sighed, "Everything has been bad lately, but that's about to change!" She paused and turned around. My jaw dropped when I saw a miniature boat come flying up behind them. They ran away before it could crush them; Ash, Pikachu, and I were forced to move before it could crush us. When the boat landed, we found Melody, Misty, and Tracey.

"Well good job Mr. Hero," Melody said angrily, "Now we're stranded on the island cause of you!"

Misty sighed, "Welcome to my world. I have to deal with his stubborn attitude every single day."

Melody smiled, "Oh, you'll have to get used to that for when you two get married."

"M-married!?" Misty choked.

Jessie looked up at her, "Listen to me kid, when you get involved with the opposite sex, your only asking for trouble."

"And that's the kind of trouble that I stay out of." James said.

Meowth held up a paw, "But yous twos don't need the opposite sex 'cause you got each odder."

"What does that mean!?" Jessie and James barked at the same time.

I was laughing along with Meowth, when suddenly a giant ball of electricity appeared. I looked up, and found a spiky, bright yellow giant bird flying overhead. I pulled out my pokédex. _Zapdos, the electric/flying type. Little to none is known about them. _Powerful electric attacks emitted from Zapdos's wings as it screeched and landed somewhere nearby. Pikachu tried to defend us, but it was too powerful and wounded the weaker electric-type. The island transformed into a magnetic field, and I was frozen to the ground. My hair began to stand up on its own. Pikachu electrified Zapdos, but from what Meowth said, this was not an attack. It was asking why it's on Moltres's island. Zapdos explained that Moltres was gone, and so now it was taking over. A storm of lightning cleared the magnetic field so that I could move. I glanced up at the source, and found a giant, black, metal fortress floating in the sky.

"What the heck is that?" I asked.

"No idea." Ash muttered.

Zapdos was angered by this. It flew into the air and tried to attack the machine. These attacks were thwarted by electrical magnets that captured it, and brought it towards the ship. Unfortunately, the magnets captured us as well and drug all of us into the ship. I tried to break free, but it was no use. "LUGIA!!!" I cried before disappearing into the ship…

We appeared inside of a fancy room, which was filled with ancient artifacts regarding rare pokemon. In one giant ball was an angry Zapdos, and then another was a fire-bird. It was Moltres. An elevator slowly lowered until a familiar person appeared. A man in his thirties was there. He had short, dirty blonde hair and wore light blue and dark purple robes. It was Lawrence the III.

"Lawrence III!" I cried.

He looked at me, "Do I know you?"

My eyes narrowed, "Yeah! You're the one who tried to pilfer my Mew all those years ago! It ran away because you, you ass!"

He smirked, "I see. Well, it's nice to see you again young lady. Now, what do you think? Moltres, the bid of fire, and Zapdos, the bird of lightning. Not a complete set, but…"

"What do you think pokemon are!?" Misty shouted, "Stamps? What kind fo trainer are you?"

"I am not a young trainer, young lady. I am merely a collector," Lawrence explained, "Legendary pokemon have always been my passion. And soon my collection itself will be legendary." He turned and went back up the elevator.

"You bloody pansy! Come back here!" I cried, but he was gone, "Dammit." I turned to the window; all was not well. A horrible blizzard storm reigned supreme upon the land. The ocean was completely frozen. _No. _

"Do not disturb fire, ice, or lightning…or else the world will be destroyed. What if the legend is coming true?" Melody asked.

Ash turned to the pokemon, "Then I guess we'll have to get them outta there." He tried tackling the electric balls, but that was no use.

"We'll have to try a different method. I said," I reached for my pokeballs, but I stopped. There was something outside of the ship. I could hear a familiar cry. _Lugia? No…it can't be. _I quickly called out Charizard and Pikachu, "We need to work fast! Use Flamethrower and Thunderbolt on the cages!" My pokemon quickly attacked them.

Ash called out his Charizard and Pikachu, "Do the same thing!" They quickly attacked the same target.

"Fire and lightning aren't enough." Misty warned.

Jessie and James called out Arbok and Wheezing, "Then we'll help." The purple-haired woman and her partner ordered their pokemon. Ash called out Squirtle and Bulbasuar as enforcements. Suddenly, the cages exploded. Zapdos and Moltres were now free…and filled with new vigor. They both blew holes into the walls and flew out of the ship. I watched in fear as they began to tear the ship apart with lightning and fire. As a result, the ship set a crash course landing straight into Lightning Island. While the ship was still airborne, powerful winds tied to suck us outward. I was unlucky, and I could feel gravity dragging me outside. I screamed as I fell from the ship. "BELLA!!!" Ash cried. I could hear my own screams as I fell down towards the broken ice below. The wind whirled around me as I fell to my doom. I had recalled my pokemon, and the pressure made it too hard difficult for me to call on Charizard. I hit the cold water with a mighty splash; it burned my flesh as I sunk below. I was disoriented, and black blotches filled my vision.

I slowly sunk below the surface, gasping for air but only sucking in freezing water. _Crap… _I thought with despair. I slowly sank into the dephs of the sea, unable to save myself. Memories of that last time I nearly drowned filled my mind. I doubted that anything would happen. That was when my fingers caught something, and the water slowly vanished as I clasped onto something furry. It lifted me upwards and into what I guessed to be fresh air. I gripped whatever I was on, praying that it would not eat me. I opened my eyes when I heard a familiar cry. I looked down, and my jaw dropped at what I saw. I was mounted on the back of a giant, beautiful white bird with a long neck, and some dark blue feathers as decoration. It had sharp black irises. Its name was Lugia.

"Lugia…" I whispered. I could tell from the way it looked at me, it was the same Lugia from before.

Lugia released a loud sound that sounded like a song. It was so beautiful. "_Hold on._" Lugia said telepathically before dodging Zapdos, Moltres, and the blue ice birds, Articuno, attacks. He flew around dodging the attacks as they came, and even dove back into the water. I held my breath and clasped onto his feathers for dear life. He then began to rapidly spin and create a water cyclone, and then escaped the ocean and returned to the surface. Articuno froze the cyclone, but Lugia broke free and then flew at it again. I ducked the attacks as they nearly hit me, praying that I would survive. The water-bird was forced to fly in circles to avoid the attacks. Unfortunately, he was forced to guard me as fire, lightning, and ice hit him all at once. Both of us plunged into the dark water as a result. I held my breath as I tried to shake Lugia awake. _Lugia…wake-up! Can you hear the song? Wake-up! We need you! _Tears flowed from my cheeks. _The world needs you! Please, wake-up! LUGIA!!! _He seemed to hear me, as he flew from the water and appeared in the fresh air once again.

"_The power of the song has restored my strength. But it alone cannot bring harmony to the other three. When the treasures of the three elements are aligned, my song will bring harmony amongst the three. Only once the true Chosen One aligns the spheres, the world will once again be at peace_." Lugia explained.

Ash looked at Ice Island, "I have to go over there?" he asked nervously.

"_You may go only where your heart leads._" The bird said.

His pokemon appeared to cheer him on, "But…what if I mess up?" he asked.

"Just try anyway, Ash!" I cried. Everyone was surprised to see me, "Don't give up no matter what! Me and Lugia will watch over you, 'kay?"

He nodded and quickly ran off. He seemed to have been struggling to find a way over there, but then he made a makeshift sled for his pokemon to pool and began speeding across the ice. Lugia and I hovered around him to make sure that the other legendaries stayed off of his back. We knocked Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres as they came away from him. Unfortunately, the battle destroyed his sled and made it harder for him to get there. That day was the first time I had ever been glad to see Team Rocket. They came speeding by with a strange blowup motor boat and helped Ash to Ice Island. Lugia and I continued to concentrate on the other legendaries while guarding them.

He did loops and flips as he dodged their attacks. Outsmarting the birds was rather easy. But then they attacked the island, and Lugia flew down to help the others. "Keep moving!" I called down. While fighting, Articuno was knocked unconscious and thrown onto its own island. I saw Ash grab the Ice Sphere and turn to run, but their raft was destroyed. Lugia flew down.

"_The treasure?_" Lugia asked.

"Got it!" Ash jumped on and grabbed my waist. I held onto Lugia. Pikachu was safe on Ash's shoulder as the water-bird took off. Team Rocket were holding onto his leg, but then they let go, "What're you doing!?" I watched as they fell to their doom.

Below us were thousands of pokemon. "Why are they all down there?" Ash asked.

"_They are here to aid you to the best of their ability._" Lugia said, "_Just as young Bella is today._"

I smiled at him, "Thanks for saving me all those years ago."

"_Your welcome, young human._" He replied. Ash called to his friends, but then I noticed a group of magnetic rings fly at us. They captured us, and Lugia roared in pain. He opened his mouth and released a powerful Hyper Beam attack. It sliced Lawrence's ship in half. He then released a loud, painful roar and another long, drawn out Hyper Beam. Lugia cut the ice in half, and then injured the other birds. I screamed as I was electrocuted; Ash and Pikachu were suffering the same fate. Lugia and the rest of us fell to the dark waters below. The cool water was welcomed as I slowly lost consciousness…

I awoke in Tracey's arm. I was surprised to see him, and asked about Lugia. He said that he was gone. I looked to my right, and found Ash slowly making his way towards the pillar with the Ice Sphere in hand. I was too injured to walk, so Tracey helped me limp my way to the top. I was surprised to see a talking Slowking at the top. Melody was there, too. Ash walked towards the pillar and placed the Ice Sphere inside. All of the surrounding pillars were turned to ice by a glowing green light.

"The song." Misty said.

Melody nodded and began playing her flute. I closed my eyes, and listened as Lugia's song filled the air. The storms slowly quelled, as did the injured and enraged birds. Ice began to clear away, and beautiful flowers and lush green grass returned to life on the island. I watched in amazement as a water cyclone shot from the ocean, as a green light began to heal the entire world. Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos began to sing in delight as they soared through the air. The light vanished and revealed a revived Lugia. The darkened sky became a beautiful bright blue as the sun shown through. Lugia landed on the ground, and allowed Ash a ride. I sat down on the ground and reached into my back, and immediately began to draw, despite the fact that my entire body was so sore.

Within two hours my drawings were finished. It was the image of a all three of the main birds, flying together in harmony. Then there was one of Ash riding on Lugia, celebrating the end of terror. I even drew an image of the water-rainbow that appeared in the sky. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever laid eyes on. The water-rainbow disappeared, and the celebration calmed as the birds returned to their islands. Lugia brought Ash back as the sun began to set. He released another beautiful cry, "_The beast of the sea has been tamed. The fate of the world could not have been in better hands._" He dove back into the water.

I sighed in relief. "Ash!" a familiar voice cried. I looked towards the left, and saw Professor Ivy, Delia, and my Mom running towards us, "Tell us what you were doing here, Ash Ketchum!"

Mom ran up to me and embraced me, "Bella! I was so worried about you!" she cried.

I smiled at her, "I'm fine, Mom. Just a little sore." I muttered the last part to myself.

Delia sighed, "Can you save the world a little closer to home next time?"

"Yeah mom." Ash laughed.

I slowly stood up and looked at the helicopter, "Can I go home now?"

"Of course you can." Mom said, smiling at me as she led me to the helicopter. Professor Oak was busy drooling over the old artifacts. I plopped into a helicopter, and waited for it to take off. After an hour or so it did, and I found myself going back to Pallet Town. I watched as the ocean vanished behind us…

**End of another movie chapter. Hope you enjoyed this filler; now Bella has some more legendaries to add to her sketchbook. Now for Johto to start…**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thank-you for reviewing. Oh, and thanks for correcting me on "new" and "knew"; sometimes I forget to check my spelling. Now for Johto to start up and for Bella's newest adventures. Bella now wears the outfit I mentioned in Chapter 26. There will be other movie chapters later on; one should come up relatively soon, but not for a while. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 28: Restart **

"_Art is magic delivered from_

_The lie of being truth_."

-Theodor Adorno

Days flew by after arriving in Pallet. I stayed in my bedroom, waiting for my wounded body to heal. The entire time, I was thinking about everything that we had just been through. Ash, our friends, and I just saved the world from total destruction. Interesting. I was also wondering what the lavender Mew-look-alike was. I shrugged it off, just wanting my body to heal so that I could register for the Silver Conference. The entire time I was allowing my wounded body to heal, I was trying to decide how I would go about my next quest. I came to a tough decision in the end, but it would only be fair. And I was afraid to leave Mom home alone.

Gary came to visit me before he went on to the Johto region; he seemed to have been worried until he saw that I was healing magnificently. I could see the strange look in his eyes. He was so different from the last time we met. Gary no longer bragged and acted as though he were better than me; he was more soft, and mature. Of course, I had to consider that we were fifteen now, so maybe he matured. He kissed my cheek before leaving, and then ran off to Johto.

After I recovered, I quickly changed into my new outfit. I took a shower first though. My stuff was already packed, and I had five more pokeballs. I safely secured my black and blue egg in my backpack before running downstairs. I found Mom and Irina waiting for me outside of the house. "Mom!" I called.

"So you're leaving again?" she asked, looking a little worried.

"Yeah. But I'll be back after the Silver Conference is over," I said. I reached to my belt and called out my pokemon. Charizard, Arcanine, Pikachu, Larvitar, Dewgong, and Espeon looked at me expectantly. "Sorry but guys, I have an announcement," I hesitated, "I am going to start in Johto with new pokemon. And I'm not abandoning you, but it would not be fair for me to come with battle ready pokemon. And I can't leave my Mom and sister alone, so I was wondering if you could stay here and guard them for me."

I expected them to get mad, but my pokemon understood immediately. Charizard wanted to go with me, but he agreed to stay and guard Pallet. Arcanine agreed to the same, as did the rest of my pokemon. Larvitar wanted to stay and grow stronger, so that when I called on him, he could be of use. I embraced my starter, and whispered goodbye to him. Memories of all of our endeavors together almost made me cry.

"I already knew that this would happen," I turned around, and found Professor Oak standing nearby, "I have already called Professor Elm in New Bark Town, and so now he has reserved a starter for you. Good luck, Bella."

I nodded and turned away, "Goodbye, everyone! See'ya!" My eyes were glued to Charizard; he nodded to me, and I fought the tears. Goodbyes were always hard for me. I turned away and began running towards Route One. It did not take long for me to reach Viridian City. I went west and began moving down Route Twenty-Two. I passed through the tall grass; the same grass that my old Nidoran once dwelled in. Now she was Gary's powerful Nidoqueen. I went on to Route Twenty-Three, and then Route Twenty-Four. Route Twenty-Five was next.

These were the same Routes that I passed through to reach the Indigo Plateau; that is where I failed the first time, but then I would return there for the Silver Conference. Route Twenty-Six and Twenty-Seven were next. I soon found myself in a deep forest. I pulled out a map of the area and followed it, hoping that I would be able to fight the fog and make it in time.

It took me nearly four hours to reach a small town. I quickly jumped down a steep hill and stopped near the sign. "New Bark Town? Jeez, it reminds me of Pallet Town." So it was somewhat familiar to me. I began wandering down the road, glancing at all of the peaceful houses that surrounded me. They were strangers to me, so I just waved at the people as they past me. As I walked, I noticed the front door to one house as it opened. I walked past whoever came outside, without really looking at them. The sound of footsteps could be heard behind me; they quickly slowed beside me. I looked to whoever was keeping pace beside me.

It was a fifteen-year-old boy. He was good looking, and had short, black hair. He had tanned skin, and friendly dark purple irises. He wore a backwards, gold and black cap on his head, with some of his bangs sticking out. His torso was covered by a dark red, baggy hoodie with a white hood; I could also see part of the collar of a black t-shirt beneath it. There were black cuffs at the ends of his long sleeves. The bottom rim of the hoodie was white, and it zipped closed. Black shorts that resembled sweat pants with white lines on the sides went down to his knees; they were a little baggy. Last, he wore white and red sneakers. On his back was a white, one-strap bag; it looked a lot like my back, only mine was black and blue. He was staring at me curiously.

"Hi." I said in a friendly tone.

He smiled, "Hey. You look new; have I seen you before?"

"No. I'm Bella Vanielle, from Pallet Town in Kanto." I said.

He seemed to realize something, "Oh! You were on TV a month ago! Wow, you were really good. Are you a competitor in the Silver Conference now?"

I nodded, "Yup."

"Cool! You must be a really strong trainer…can I see your Charizard?" he asked.

I giggled, "No, I left all of my pokemon in Pallet. I'm starting over with a new starter."

"Oh," he looked a little disappointed, "oh well. It won't take long for such a talented trainer like you to raise a bunch of strong pokemon."

I smirked, "So who're you?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Garret Johnson, but I prefer Jimmy," the boy said, "Its nice meeting such a talented pokemon trainer. I'm about to enter the Silver Conference, too."

"Cool. Well, I wish you the best of luck." I said as we neared what I guessed was the laboratory. I stopped and threw the door open, and then entered the lab. Like Professor Oak's, it was filled with computers and bookshelves. Inside the lab was also a man in his thirties, with brown hair, and he wore a crisp white lab coat.

However, Jimmy and I weren't the only ones to come to the lab.

There was a fifteen-year-old boy standing in the room. The bangs of his short, sandy-light-blonde hair was spiked up, giving it an odd style. Happy, dark blue irises gazed at the girl standing beside him. The boy's skin tone was pale compared to Jimmy's. He wore a vibrant green, short-sleeved shirt with a white collar. Brown pants covered his legs, and last he wore white and green sneakers. He was carrying a white and green pack, talking up a storm with the girl.

The young female standing beside him was around fifteen-years-old. The girl had long, aqua blue hair that was tied into two pigtails. Vibrant green irises gazed at the boy with a look of interest. Her skin was light yet with a pinkish tint. She wore a pale blue bandana on her head, and a sleeveless, form-fitting pink tank-top on her torso. An open, white, long-sleeved jacket with pink cuffs on the sleeves was added. She also wore vibrant blue bicycle shorts, and pink socks with white and black sneakers. She carries a pink and white bag with her.

"Professor Elm?" I called.

The man looked at me with a bored expression, "Uh…who are you? I've never seen you before, oh, and hi Jimmy."

Jimmy waved, "Yo."

"I'm Bella Vanielle, from Pallet. Professor Oak called about me." I said.

He completely turned to me, "Oh…yes…my old mentor said that you would be coming," He rose from the chair walked across the room to a machine containing six pokeballs, "Okay everyone, gather around!"

"All of you are about to begin your careers as pokemon trainers. Here, there are only three different types of pokemon, but there's two of each just in case some of you want the same kind. I'll let three out, each a different type then the last, and let you guys make your pick."

Professor Elm grabbed three pokeballs. He tapped them, and three lights appeared. They formed into three, interesting little pokemon. He tapped the other three, causing the pokemon to appear on the floor. I pulled out my newly upgraded pokédex and aimed it at the first one. The first one was a small pokemon, with smooth, pale yellow/green skin. Light green buds circled its neck like a form fitting necklace, and a long green leaf protruded from the top of its head, like long hair that was tied back. It had bright, happy crimson eyes. _Chikorita, the grass-type. They are very docile, and often extremely energetic. They can use their leaf to purify the air around them. They are rarely found, but they can be found living in small forests. This one is female. _

I then aimed my pokédex at the next pokemon.

It was a little pokemon; the top half of its body-its back-was covered in black fur, while the bottom half had peach fur. It had a long snout, and its eyes were closed. But it appeared to be awake. _Cyndaquil, a fire-type. Their behavior depends on their personality, unlike most pokemon. They usually live in warm climates, but are still difficult to find. This one is male. _I was intrigued by this one. The little Cyndaquil gazed up at me, and sniffed the air.

The third was a small crocodile that walks on its hind legs. Crimson spikes protrude from the back of its neck to the tip of its tail. There is a pale yellow 'V' shapped marking on its chest, and it has white claws and fangs. The rest of its body was a vibrant, yet slightly dark, blue. _Totodile, the water-type. They have a habit of biting anything they see, and have a very playful nature in general. They usually live close to water. _

"Quil!" The Cyndaquil cried, and he ran up to me and leapt into my arms. He stroked his head against my collarbone.

I hugged him back and smiled, "Looks like Cyndaquil likes me."

"Uh…Professor Elm." We turned to Jimmy, and found that the other Cyndaquil was stroking its head against his leg.

I giggled, "Looks like you just found your starter, Jimmy."

"Think so?" He looked down at Cyndaquil and smiled. "Yeah, I'll take this Cyndaquil." He said confidently.

"And I'll take this Cyndaquil." I said with a wide smile.

The blue-haired girl stepped forward after our partners were chosen, her eyes scanning the remaining pokemon. She paused when she saw one of the Totodile, stooped down, and then scooped it into her arms. "You're so cute!" she cooed, running a finger on its snout. It responded by nipping at her hand; she jerked away before its jaws could clamp down. "I'll name you Wan-Wani!"

I almost burst out laughing when I heard the nickname, but I contained myself.

"Then I'll choose my." The blonde male stepped forward, curiosity filling his eyes as he looked at the remaining pokemon.

He stopped when a Chikorita stepped forward. His hand slowly extended out to it, and the small pokemon sniffed it. The Chikorita rubbed its head against his palm, purring with delight. "You want to be my starter, Chikorita?" The little pokemon nodded. The boy scooped the little green pokemon into his arms, smiling at the blue-haired girl as he did so.

Professor Elm nodded, "Good. Now, before you leave, take these PokeGear. You can use them to communicate with others whom you exchange numbers with. In short, their like cell phones. You can also hear and news and stuff on these," He handed me, Jimmy, the blonde boy, and the blue-haired girl a Pokégear each. The blonde placed his in his pocket while the blue-haired girl slid hers on like a watch; I did the same. Jimmy placed his in his pack. "Now, if you're going to register for the Silver Conference, then go to the Pokemon Center in Cherrygrove City, and then go these cities to find the Gyms: Violet City, Azalea Town, Goldenrod City, Ecruteak City, Olivine City, Cianwood City, Mahogany Town, and then Blackthorn City. The Gym Leaders you need to look for are: Falkner Hayato, Bugsy Tsukushi, Whitney Akane, Morty Matsuba, Jasmine Mikan, Chuck Shijima, Pryce Yanagi, and Clair Ibuki. The badges you will receive for defeating them will be the: the Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Storm Badge, Mineral Badge, Glacier Badge, and then the Rising Badge. Well, good luck kids, hope you have a safe journey." He finished.

_Nice to have all of that information. _I thought as I marked all of my destinations on my map. I recalled Cyndaquil into his pokeball, and then placed it on my belt with the five empty ones. "Thanks Professor Elm. Take care." I walked out of the lab. I could hear an exchange of words between the others before Jimmy ran to catch up with me.

"Man, I can't wait till I get all eight badges and become a Pokemon Master!" Jimmy said excitedly, "It'll be so awesome! 'Cuz then I can take the trophy home with me, and make my parents proud."

"I'm sure they'll be proud even if you don't bring a trophy home. That's what happened with me." I said as we entered Route Twenty-Eight. It was a simple, quiet and peaceful forest. I enjoyed seeing the change in geography; admiring the nature around me was a little hobby of mine.

Jimmy stopped after a few minutes of walking. I stopped along with him, and looked in the direction that his eyes were glued to. My eyes went straight to a little brown Weedle. My skin began to crawl and I backed away slightly. Jimmy noticed how uneasy I was, and looked at me curiously, "You're not afraid of bug pokemon, are you?"

"Yes," I admitted. It never hurt to admit the truth sometimes, "Your not going to catch that thing, are you?"

"Yup!" He said as he grabbed a pokeball. I sighed. _Might as well let the little newbie catch it. I'll just avoid it when he's using the creepy thing. _My pokédex said that it was a male. I watched as Jimmy tossed the pokeball; it hit Weedle, but that only angered the bug. "Huh? How come it didn't work?"

"You have to weaken it first through pokemon battles." I said; I felt like I was an expert.

He nodded, "Okay," He called out Cyndaquil, "Cyndaquil! Use your…what attacks does he have?"

"Check your pokédex." I yawned.

"Oh, thanks," Jimmy's hand dove into his bag, and he pulled out his pokédex. "Okay, Cyndaquil, use your Tackle attack!" The fire-type ran at Weedle with all of his strength, and sent it flying into a rock. "Good job, Cyndaquil."

Weedle leapt up and glared at both Jimmy and Cyndaquil. He held up his tail and used a Poison Sting to wound the fire-type. "Cyndaquil, use your Tackle attack again!" He hit Weedle, and once again it slammed into a rock, "Now use an Ember!" Small flames shot from Cyndaquil's mouth, and sliced at Weedle. The pokemon must have been weak enough by that point.

Jimmy grabbed an empty pokeball and threw it at Weedle; the red and white sphere hit it, and devoured it with a crimson light. The pokeball sat fell to the ground, and began to shake. It took a few seconds for it to cease its trembling and click. Jimmy ran to the pokeball and scooped it up, "Yes! I caught my very first pokemon, and all with Cyndaquil's help! Woo!"

"Good job," I praised. Then my face fell and my voice went flat, "But just keep that thing away from me, got it?"

"Will do, Bella," Jimmy said as he placed his new pokemon in his pack, "Now let's drop by the Pokemon Center in Cherrygrove City." I nodded in agreement and followed the other fifteen-year-old deeper into the forest. We passed a lot of wild pokemon as went, such as the adorable little Sentret; but I did not try to catch any. Instead, I paused to battle as many trainers as I could. Jimmy and I split the amount of trainers we fought, so that our pokemon could gain the same amount of experience.

He was surprised by how well I commanded my Cyndaquil, but expected it at the same time. Soon we found ourselves in Cherrygrove City; it reminded me of Viridian City, back at home. The biggest difference was that there was an obvious lack of a Gym. So we dropped by the Pokemon Center. There our pokemon rested, and Nurse Joy used our pokedexs to sign us up for the Silver Conference. After signing up, we both ate some dinners, got our own rooms, and went upstairs to sleep.

I dropped onto my bed and gazed up at the ceiling. Cyndaquil jumped onto my pillow and curled up beside my head, "Well, looks like I'm starting an all new journey with you, little buddy." I had to admit that missed Charizard, and all of my other pokemon. But dwelling on the past would not get me anyway. I closed my eyes, and allowed sleep to take me away…

**Bella's journeys in Johto have finally begun; only now she has a human partner following her around. I will say that I do not own Jimmy. Please review and I will update soon…**


	30. Chapter 30

**Thanks for the advice, ****Cherry Ame****. I went back and fixed Chapter 28. Also, I changed the egg back to what was going to be originally. So it's black and blue again. Next chapter. Bella and Jimmy will soon be meeting one of Bella's old rivals, along with a new rival with a past of his own.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 29: Flight **

"_One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands_.

_Lasting peace comes not from force_."

-David Borenstein

The next morning, I recalled Cyndaquil into his pokeball and reunited with Jimmy in lobby. After we both had our pokemon again, we went ahead and ordered breakfast. I ate some pancakes, while he ate nearly every breakfast item known to man. I smacked the back of his head once to try and keep him from making himself sick. I thought about how Jimmy reminded me so much of Ash. I shrugged and continued eating. Once we were finished, Jimmy and I left the Pokemon Center and headed for Route Twenty-Thirty. We ran into a lot of strong trainers on the Route, but a majority of them were no match for Cyndaquil. Jimmy did not have very much trouble with commanding Cyndaquil and Weedle; he evolved into a Kakuna quickly.

While walking along the Route, Jimmy paused to ask me a question; "Hey Bella?"

"Hm?" I looked at him.

"How come you haven't caught any pokemon yet? I've already caught a Weedle, and it's already a Kakuna; plus, we've passed a lot good pokemon already."

"Yeah, I know. But I just haven't been interested in any others," I said as we moved along. I stopped when I heard a loud squeal of terror, "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Jimmy agreed.

I narrowed my eyes, "Follow me." I took off after the sound as it continued to echo throughout the forest. I sprinted towards it, and then skidded to a stop when I saw the reason. A little yellow pokemon with black on its pointed, triangular ears. Fearful, adorable dark brown irises were wide with terror. It had a little black tail, and round pink cheeks. I quickly grabbed at my pokédex. _Pichu, the electric-type. They are known for their playfulness, and are very social pokemon. They are found in the woods and urban areas. They cannot use electric attacks without shocking themselves. _From what the pokédex said, it was the pre-evolution of Pikachu. A Spearow was attacking the poor little Pichu.

"Jimmy, you handle the Pichu, I'll go and take out Spearow!" I said as I called out Cyndaquil.

He nodded, "'Kay!" And took off after the electric-type.

Flames covered Cyndaquil's back as he prepared for battle, "Use Ember!" Fire shot from its mouth and engulfed the Spearow.

It crowed angrily and tried to use Peck on him. "Evade!" He dodged the attack, "Tackle attack now!" He rammed into Spearow, "One more Ember!" That last attack sent it flying away in fear.

"Back!" Jimmy called as he returned to my side, "I had to catch Pichu; we need to take him to the Pokemon Center in Violet City."

"Right." I nodded and recalled Cyndaquil. We began walking through the dense forest once again. I sighed as we moved. _Those Spearow can be so territorial sometimes. _I thought as my legs carried me along. I stopped in mid-step when I heard the flapping of wings.

Something tapped my shoulder. I turned to find a very terrified Jimmy, "Uh…B-Bella…RUN!!!" I glanced past his shoulders and saw a horde of irate Spearow flying towards us. My eyebrow twitched. Jimmy grabbed my hand and drug me away the creatures. _Dangit! Cyndaquil is still too weak to handle something like this! _I picked up my own pace so that it matched Jimmy's as we sped through the forest.

The Spearow were not prepared to back down; they flew even faster to keep up with us. We came to a stop at a fork in the road. One sign mentioned the Dark Cave, while another spoke of some forest. The forest would be the longer way to Violet, but it was safer than a cave. And the Spearow would not be able to follow us. Jimmy and I sped towards the forest and entered without a second's hesitation.

We stopped to see the Spearow fly away, disappointed that they could not tear us apart with their ridiculously sharp talons. I sighed in relief, "Jeez…that was a close one."

"Yeah," Jimmy scratched the back of his neck, "Thought we were goners for a second there."

I took a quick look around. The forest was extremely dense; not even sunlight could shine through. I quickly called out Cyndaquil, "Use the flames on your back to light the way, please."

"Quil!" the fire-type shouted. Flames shot from his back, giving us a large flashlight.

Jimmy snapped his fingers, "Thanks, Cyndaquil."

"Let's go," I muttered. All three of us carefully began to walk through the dense forest. It was far too quiet, especially if someone compared it to the Route we had just been on. We had been walking around in peace for a few minutes, when a strange cry startled us. I turned towards the east, and jumped when something came flying towards us.

I ducked as it flew over me, and tried to see what it was. It took me a second to realize that it was a Scyther. I smirked, "Looks like its ticked about something." _I've always wanted to catch that pokemon, despite the fact that it's a bug-type. At least it doesn't _look _like a creepy bug. Looks like this one is male. _

"Cyndaquil, use your Ember attack on it!" I commanded. Fire shot from Cyndaquil's mouth and engulfed the bug-type.

He cried out in pain and glared fiercely at us. He flew at us with its razor sharp claws and prepared to slice Cyndaquil in half. "Evade!" He hopped out of the way, "Tackle attack!" I ordered. He slammed into Scyther's side and knocked it to the ground.

He leapt up and used Cut on Cyndaquil, wounding him. My fire-type glared at Scyther and used another Ember attack on it. Without warning, he teleported behind Scyther and used a powerful tackle. Cyndaquil just learned Quick Attack, "Good job, boy. Another Ember!" I ordered. The flames licked at Scyther hungrily. That was all I needed. I grabbed an empty pokeball and tossed it at the bug-type.

He was engulfed by a crimson light; the crimson and white pokeball hit the ground, and began to shake violently. I stood there, praying that I had caught him. A Scyther was a very powerful pokemon, and he would be useful in future battles. The pokeball clicked, and I quickly claimed it and placed the new pokemon on my belt.

"That was awesome, Bella!" Jimmy cheered, "You didn't hesitate at all, and you knew exactly what to do."

I smiled, "Well duh. I trained a Charmander to a Charizard, and captured all kinds of interesting pokemon in Kanto. I think I should know how to catch pokemon by now." I said jokingly. He chuckled at my joke. I changed the subject, "But I wonder why Scyther was so angry. What could have bothered him?"

Jimmy shrugged, "Who knows? Another pokemon?" He stopped, and his jaw dropped, "B-Bella…"

"What?" I turned around, and found exactly what he was pointing at. It was a horde of Spearow. "Shat!" We both turned around and began sprinting away from the angry birds as they chased us. We skidded to a stop when we came upon a large fire, "Dangit!" Jimmy and I turned around and sprinted back. I noticed that all of the Spearow were gone. I stopped when the crackling of fire vanished; I turned, and found that the raging wildfire had disappeared. I blinked, "Uh…what's going on?"

"Was that an illusion?" Jimmy asked.

I placed my hands on my hips, "I think it was," _But what caused that? A ghost pokemon? That is a possibility…but then maybe not. _I shrugged, "C'mon, let's get out of this forest."

"Right," Jimmy took the lead, and I quickly caught up to him as we continued down the road. Everything was calm for a few seconds, but then to my dismay, a loud, inhuman cackle echoed off of the woods. I fell to my knees and covered my ears, trying to zone the creepy sound out. "What is that sound?" the raven haired boy asked.

"I don't know! I just want it to go away!" I cried.

The sounds stopped abruptly. I opened my eyes and looked up. I gasped when I saw who was standing before me. It was Gary Oak, and beside him was an odd brown bird with a white stomach, bright orange eyes, and a white stomach. _Hoothoot, normal/flying type. It is a nocturnal creature. They are very common even though they only come out at night. _"Are you OK Bella?" Gary asked worriedly.

I nodded, "Yeah." I replied sheepishly.

He reached down to me, "That was just an illusion." A smirk spread on his face. I took his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet.

"Thanks." I said quietly.

Jimmy stomped up to him, "And who're _you_?"

"I'm Gary Oak, an old friend of Bella's," The brunette replied. I could sense some hostility in his voice, "Who are _you_?"

"Jimmy," The raven haired boy replied. He looked at me, "So you know this guy?"

I nodded, "Uh-huh. He and I both live in Pallet Town, and we participated in the Indigo League together…well, kind of together. You could call us rivals."

"Really…" Jimmy muttered to himself, "…interesting." He looked a little annoyed.

Gary placed his hands on his hips, "This forest causes illusions for people. You need a Hoothoot to dispel the illusions and protect yourself. I rented this Hoothoot from an old lady. It'll go back her after I get outta the forest, but I'm going to be here for a while," he looked me in the eye, "Bella, if you want to go to Violet City, I'll guide you to the other side. The old lady doesn't have anymore _useful _Hoothoot. Is that alright with you?"

I nodded, "That would be wonderful."

"Whatever." Jimmy sighed.

With everything said and done, Gary took the lead. His Hoothoot did prove useful when the next illusion attacked. Its eyes would begin to glow a bright red, and then the illusion vanished. Traveling through the strange forest was a breeze, and we soon found ourselves on Route Thirty-Two within just a few hours. I turned back to Gary, "Sure you're going to stay here?"

"Yeah," Gary nodded, "I'm busy catching and training a lot of pokemon. See'ya Bells and take care." He shot Jimmy a dirty look, who returned the favor, and then re-entered the forest.

I paused to watch as he disappeared into the darkness with Hoothoot at his side. _I wonder what causes the illusions. _I thought before turning away and following Jimmy down the hill. It was not long before the tall buildings of Violet City appeared in the horizon.

I was used to the cities at that point, so it was not too hard to navigate all the way to the Pokemon Center. We had Nurse Joy heal our pokemon, and then ate some lunch at the Center before leaving. "So the first Gym Leader is here." Jimmy mused.

"Yup," I said, "It shouldn't be too hard to find the Gym, seeing as they usually have a weird build." _I still want to meet the head designers of these places. _I thought. I stopped when I noticed a familiar person. It was a person that I had never met before, but I remembered seeing them on television.

There was a sixteen-year-old boy nearby. He had medium length red hair, and tanned skin. His sharp eyes were a deep black. He wore a baggy, black long-sleeved shirt with red lining. Baggy, denim jeans covered his legs; black boots with red lining acted as his footwear. I remembered seeing something on the news about a Totodile. It was stolen from Professor Elm's lab, which was injured during the confrontation with a redheaded youth. The boy's side was wounded. I noticed that this child had red hair and his shirt was ripped, being a sign that he was probably injured by something. The report said that the word 'Silver' was painted in blood on the wall, so he was nicknamed as such.

I quickly walked up to him and stepped in front of him. He looked at me with a surprised expression, "You're the guy who stole a Totodile, aren't you?"

He narrowed his eyes, realizing that he had been caught, "So?"

"You should turn yourself in." I said.

He chuckled, "Do you think I'd really do that?"

"Not really," I muttered, "But if you don't, then I'll…"

"You'll what? _Force _me?" he smirked. I did not reply, "You may have qualms about hurting other people with pokemon, but I don't." He reached into his pocket and called out the Totodile.

I quickly called out Cyndaquil. "Be careful, Bella!" Jimmy cried.

"I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse than petty little thieves." I assured him.

He narrowed his eyes, "_Petty thief_? I'll show _you_! Totodile, use your Water Gun attack!"

"Evade Cyndaquil," my fire-type dodged the attack, "Use your Quick Attack!" He sped at Totodile and knocked it away with a powerful attack.

"Bite!" the redhead ordered. Totodile ran at Cyndaquil and sank its fangs into his side.

"Quick Attack!" From that distance, the power of the attack caused even more damage then it would have from a longer range.

He narrowed his eyes, "You stupid croc, use your freakin Water Gun!" Totodile released the cool liquid, which hit Cyndaquil and knocked him against a rock.

He recovered, and stumbled around. He was too hurt to fight. I recalled Cyndaquil, "You earned a good rest," And then called on Scyther, "Sword Dance!" The green bug-type flew at Totodile and began stabbing at it, "Now Cut!" He sliced at it, injuring it even further, "Now finish with a Quick Attack!" My last attack was enough to finish the beast off.

The boy recalled his unconscious Totodile, "Bitch. You're not a newbie, are you?"

"No," I muttered, "If your not going to turn yourself in, then at least tell me your name."

He grinned, "Just call me 'Silver', m'kay? See'ya." He waved and quickly sprinted away.

I glared at him as he ran. Jimmy looked at me worriedly, "C'mon, we need to get your Cyndaquil to the Pokemon Center."

I nodded, "I know." I followed him back to the Pokemon Center. There, the Nurse healed my pokemon. Once we were ready, we left the Center and began searching for the Gym. The Gym was not hard to find. It was a tall, dark purple building with several windows. Jimmy and I entered the Gym and began searching for the Leader. The building had a lot of rooms where people could train, and even its own lobby. It was not long before we came across the Gym Leader.

We ran into a seventeen-year-old boy, who had short, mostly dark blue hair that covered his right eye. He wore light blue, dull blue, and white Japanese-style clothing. He walked up to his, and seemed very intimidating and commanding as he spoke, "Who are you?"

"Bella Vanielle of Pallet Town. I've come to challenge the Gym Leader." I said automatically.

"And I'm Jimmy Garret, from New Bark Town. I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader, too." The raven haired boy said enthusiastically.

He looked us over, "I am Falkner, the head trainer of this Gym. I will take the both of you on. Follow me," He turned away and walked towards an elevator. We both followed him inside, and allowed the elevator to lift us upwards. Falkner had brought us to the roof of the building. He turned towards us, "Who shall be challenging me first?"

"I will!" Jimmy said immediately. He grabbed a pokeball and called on Cyndaquil, "And I'm ready for you."

Falkner nodded and grabbed his own pokeball. He tossed it into the air, and allowed his Hoothoot to fly freely, "Three pokemon each. Understand?"

"Eh…but I only have two." Jimmy said nervously.

"That will be fine," Falkner said, "Now, Hoothoot, use your Peck attack!" It took flight and soared downwards at Cyndaquil.

"Use your Ember attack Cyndaquil!" He quickly released an onslaught of heated flames that mercilessly began to burn Hoothoot's feathers.

It cried out in pain and flew away, "Hoothoot, use your Air Slash attack!" It dug its razor sharp talons into Cyndaquil's flesh, "And now Tackle!" It rammed into him, sending him spiraling to the ground.

"Come on Cyndaquil, hang in there!" Jimmy called, "Now use your Quick Attack!" Ivory light engulfed the fire-type as it rushed at Hoothoot, slamming directly into it.

Falkner realized that it was no use, and quickly recalled his injured pokemon. He tossed another pokeball into the air. A tall Dodrio appeared form within.

"Jimmy! Recall Cyndaquil! He's too weak to fight something as powerful as a Dodrio right now." I called.

He nodded, "Right." He recalled Cyndaquil, and summoned Kakuna instead. I wondered what he planned to do with him.

"Dodrio, use your Peck attack!" The tall bird stomped towards the helpless cocoon.

"Use your Harden!" Kakuna strengthened his defenses, and dulled the damage caused by Dodrio.

Falkner narrowed his eyes, "Fury Swipes."

"Harden again!" It began to attack him ferociously, but the attacks were not very effective. The bird continued to attack the bug-type, even though its attacks were not very effective. I watched, waiting to see what Jimmy's strategy was. I quickly learned what he was planning when Kakuna split open, and slowly, a Beedrill emerged.

I was still uneasy around those pokemon after my first encounter with them in Viridian Forest. "Good job, Beedrill, now use your Twinneedle Attack!" Beedrill put its claws together and began to spin rapidly, flying towards Dodrio and then drilling into it.

"Use your Fury Swipe attack." Falkner commanded.

"Finish it with a Fury Attack!" Jimmy ordered. One last attack of the claws was all that was needed, seeing as the Dodrio was already tired out from attacking Kakuna for too long. "Woo! Go Beedrill!" He recalled his pokemon, and then summoned Pichu.

Falkner recalled Dodrio, and then called out the pokemon that I prayed he would not have: a Pidgeot. _Pichu is a goner! _I thought with despair. _Especially since he can't use any electrical attacks without hurting himself. _"Pidgeot, use you're Wing Attack!"

"Dodge it, Pichu!" Jimmy called. He moved before Pidgeot could land the attack, "Now run towards the walls!" Pichu did as ordered.

"Peck!" Falkner ordered. The electrical pokemon did not stop running until ordered to; as a result, Pidgeot hit the wall face-first. I was surprised when Jimmy began to repeat this cycle; Falkner did not seem to notice. After doing this for several minutes, Jimmy had Pichu use Thunder Shock. He wounded himself, but not enough to knock himself unconscious. The attack was enough to defeat Pidgeot."

I smiled, "Nice planning, Jimmy."

"Thanks." He said as he embraced Pichu. He recalled his pokemon, and looked to Falkner.

The bird-trainer walked over to him and handed him the Zephyr Badge, which was shapped like a pair of wings. Falkner dropped by the Pokemon Center afterwards and healed his pokemon, before returning to the tower and facing me. Cyndaquil fought long and hard, and he managed to take out his first two pokemon. I had to recall him, and then use Scyther against Pidgeot. Afterwards, I received my own Zephyr Badge. After our Gym battle, I bid farewell and dropped by the Pokemon Center.

"Hey Jimmy." I said.

He looked at me, "Hm?"

"I think we should part ways." I muttered.

"Why?"

"Because, think about it: we're aiming for the same goal. It wouldn't be right to constantly be around each other and see our different pokemon, ya know? We'll meet again, but we're rivals now if you think about it. We should act like rivals too." I explained.

He seemed to agree, "Your right," he smiled and shook my hand, "I hope that you and I can battle someday."

"We will." I said quietly. I decided to stay in the Center that night, while Jimmy went on to the next town…

**This is only Gym battle that Bella has participated in, and I did not go into detail about the fight. Well, please review and I will update soon…**


	31. Chapter 31

**Now for the next chapter. I have little to say, so here it is…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 30: Caverns **

"_If you take responsibility for yourself_,

_You will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams_."

-Les Brown

I awoke during the middle of the night; it was a little difficult to sleep. So, I took a quick shower and got dressed, then left the Pokemon Center early. I was about to leave for Route Thirty-Three, but I decided to check out the city first. Rushing myself and searching for the next city was not exactly interesting, and I felt like checking out Violet. The Johto region interested me; checking it out and discovering what it had to offer was exciting in a wall. So, I ended up wandering around the city. It was like any other city in Kanto; there was not very much there. I did drop by the Pokemart before deciding to head to Route Thirty-Three; but I paused when I noticed a giant, wooden tower. I walked up to the sign and read it. _Sprout Tower. Monks liver here, and teach others how coexist in our world. If you defeat the head monk, you will receive a special gift. _I shrugged and walked towards the doors; I grabbed the handle and slid it open and entered. The inside resembled a Japanese-style dojo or something; the biggest difference is that it was a tower and not a dojo.

Old monks dressed in bright orange robes wandered around the room. Most of them were bald. I slowly moved around, wondering what was so special about the building. I paused when I noticed a giant beam in the middle of the room; it looked a little unsteady. I decided that there was nothing special about it and went on. I slowly crept up the stairs and to the next floor. I noticed a few Rattata here and there as I wandered the second, and soon the third floor. There was very little excitement, really. The monks would give me a short bow, and wish me good luck before continuing on with whatever they were doing.

I did not stop wandering around until I reached the top floor. It was there that I ran into the head monk, who seemed to have been waiting for me. His robes were styled different, and he had a few beads here and there. He walked up to me, looking commanding and intimidating, "Stop. Are you the trainer that my fellows have spoken of?"

"Your buddies were talking about me?" I asked, "Uh…well, I'm not sure but…I am a pokemon trainer."

He nodded wisely, "And you are participating in the Silver Conference, correct?" I nodded, "Well, in order to continue you on, you must have the ability Flash. For the next city with a Gym is beyond the Onion Cave; it is too dark in the cave for trainers venture without being injured."

"Really…" I muttered, "So how do I get the Flash TM?"

"You must defeat me in a battle. If you are victorious, then you may have the Flash TM." The old monk said.

I shrugged and grabbed a pokeball, "That sounds fine." I tossed my pokeball, and Cyndaquil appeared on the wooden floor.

The old monk tossed a pokeball that he fished out of his robes; it exploded with ivory light, and then a Bellsprout appeared. _Fire vs. grass. Heh, this'll be a piece of cake. _"Razor Leaf!" the old monk ordered. Leaves shot from the grass-type and sliced into Cyndaquil's side.

He cried out in pain, but recovered quickly, "Ember!" Fire shot from his mouth and burned the grass-type, wounding it easily. Falkner was easy to beat because bird-types are weak against fire-types; grass-types are even weaker. "Quick Attack!"

He sped at Bellsprout and slammed into it, causing the grass-type to hit the wall. That was when the beam in the center of the entire building became _very _interesting. The tower began to wobble unsteadily, and I was sure that it would fall, "What's going on!?"

He chuckled, "This tower is built to withstand earthquakes; when there is too much force within the building, such as a pokemon battle, it begins to tip back and forth. Do not fear, the tower will not collapse."

"I hope not…" I mumbled, now aware of what would happen during our battle. "Alright Cyndaquil, use your Ember attack."

"Wrap." Bellsprout dodged the attack and then wrapped its brown, stem-like arms around Cyndaquil, keeping him from moving.

"Use another Ember attack," I said calmly. Fire from such a close range ended up damaging both of them; however, Cyndaquil was not as injured as Bellsprout. "Now use your…huh?" I paused when Cyndaquil jumped into the air, and while completely covered in fire, slammed into Bellsprout; it was burned and knocked unconscious. I checked my pokédex; Cyndaquil had just learned Flame Wheel.

The monk recalled his Bellsprout with a sigh, and then reached into his pocket. I expected him to call on another pokemon, but instead he just gave me a TM, which was a special type of pokemon food. "Teach your Cyndaquil this move, and crossing through the Onion Cave shall not be as much of a challenge. Beware the ghost pokemon, and rock types, as well." He said.

I nodded and fed my new starter the food. He cried out with excitement as he learned the new technique. I praised Cyndaquil, and then recalled him. Once I was ready, I began heading towards the exit. I paused when I noticed that my shadow was moving on its own. Suddenly, it screamed at me, and I shrieked in terror. I was running when I heard a familiar chuckle; I turned around, and found that it was a Gengar. I rolled my eyes and quickly evacuated the Sprout Tower. I dropped by the Pokemon Center and waited for Nurse Joy to heal my pokemon before renting and room, and going back to bed…

The next day arrived quickly. I awoke, and took another shower before getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast. A few cinnamons rolls were all I needed before leaving the Center and heading for Route Thirty-Three. The Route was a deep forest. I had noticed how Johto had a lot of forests, and Kanto had more wide open fields. It was interesting to see how different the geography in the two regions was. But there were a lot of familiar pokemon here. They also shared the same League, too. I noticed as carefree Pidgey soared above and little Rattata scurried around the forest floor. My sightseeing was brought to an abrupt end when, not only did I notice that I was heading for a less lush and more desert area, but I was also standing before the Union Cave.

I entered the dark cave, and found that the old monk had been right. I could not even see my hand in front of my face. I called out Cyndaquil, and had him use Flash to light the entire cavern. We both slowly began making our way deeper into the rock cave, trying to avoid tripping and hurting myself. Memories of Cerulean Cave filled my mind; I began hoping that Team Rocket was not in there. It was odd how I had to go through a cave after my first Gym battle in Kanto, and then I had to go through another cave after my first Gym battle in Johto. Odd, yet another sign of how similar the two regions were. I carefully climbed around inside the cave with Cyndaquil at my side; we ran into a few Zubat and Geodude while we were in there. Scyther and Cyndaquil protected me whenever I used them. They were slowly growing stronger as we went.

My brave venture into the cave came to an end when I heard an eerie scream. I jerked around, expecting to see a Gengar or something. Nothing was there. I sighed, "If there is a ghost-type, then show yourself." Nothing happened. I shrugged and turned around. I came face-to-face with crimson eyes. I jumped back and yelped in surprise. There was a strange pokemon hovering in front of me. Its body was a dark grey mixed with dull blue hue. Hair of the same color covered its head and was swept back; the tips of its hair were pink. It wore a necklace made of bright red beads, and it had mischievous crimson eyes; the whites were yellow. I noticed that it hovered in the air, and was without arms or legs. I quickly checked my pokédex. _Misdreavus, a ghost-type. Like others of its kind, Misdreavus enjoyed playing pranks on others. Most of these pranks consist of screaming and then vanishing before their victims see them. They live in caves, dark forests, and abandoned buildings. This one is female. _

"Cyndaquil, use your Flame Wheel attack!" I ordered. _Having a ghost-type will be a good idea, and this one isn't too creepy. _Cyndaquil covered his entire body with fire and leapt at Misdreavus. The attack hit her, and she cried out in pain and surprise.

The Misdreavus glared at me and released a strong Psywave attack; it confused Cyndaquil, who began to stumble around as if he was not sure who or where he was. "Shake it off Cyndaquil!" I called. He shook his head and growled at Misdreavus, "Now use your Ember attack!" The flames licked the ghost-type hungrily.

She cried out in pain and glared at Cyndaquil fiercely. She flew at Cyndaquil and hit him with a strong attack that slammed him against the cave wall. She had used a Payback attack. "Quick Attack!" I commanded. My fire-type slammed into Misdreavus, causing her to hit the wall. "Another Flame Wheel!" He hit her with a strong flame attack, and then I took my chance. I threw the pokeball; it hit Misdreavus and devoured her with crimson light. The pokeball fell to the ground and began to shake rapidly. I held my breath as I waited for it; to my immense relief, the click sounded. I retrieved my new pokemon and placed it on my hip, "Good job, buddy." I said before Cyndaquil and I continued on our way.

It felt like an eternity before I emerged in Route Thirty-Four. I breathed a sigh of relief once we were free of that irritating cave. I recalled Cyndaquil and began heading in the direction of the city. I was thankful for buying a map before coming to Johto. I passed by what appeared to be the entrance to a well as I entered Azalea Town; it was smaller than Cerulean City had been. But then I needed to keep in mind that this was a town, not a city. Just another reminder of how different the two regions were. I quickly headed into the small town and began searching for the Pokemon Center. I paused in my jog to take glance at the dried up water fountain. There was a lot Slowpoke sleeping near it, despite the lack of water. I shrugged and continued on my way. As I found the Pokemon Center, I thought about how many Slowpoke I saw on my way there.

I entered the building and went to the counter. "Hey," I said the pink haired Nurse as I handed her all three of my pokemon. "Can you heal my pokemon?"

"Of course." The cheerful woman said as she took them to the back.

I glanced around the Center; I noticed a couple Slowpoke. When Nurse Joy returned, she handed me my pokemon, "Thanks. Can you tell me what is with all these Slowpoke?"

"Of course. You see, the Slowpoke are important to Azalea Town. Nearly a hundred years ago, we were hurt with a deadly famine that surely would have destroyed the town. But then Slowpoke came, and with one mighty yawn, they brought rainfall. The Slowpoke have saved us during our time of need, and so they are very important to use." The Nurse explained.

I nodded, "M-hm…interesting. So that's why there's a lot of wild Slowpoke wandering around the town."

"Uh-huh," but then her face fell, "But recently, Team Rocket has come to our town. Our Slowpoke have been disappearing, and we think it has something to do with them. I'm afraid that they might robe us of all of our precious Slowpoke. That might be why it hasn't rained in a while."

"Team Rocket?" I asked. My eyebrows furrowed with worry. _Those guys again. So their grip extends to Johto, too? _The very idea of just challenging the Gym Leader and then going on and abandoning this town made me sick. And this would not be the first time that I thwarted that mafia gang's plans. "Where have they been known to hangout?"

"Around the Slowpoke Well. That's where the Slowpoke live." Nurse Joy said.

I nodded, "Okay. I'll be sure to steer clear of that place. Don't want to get involved with Team Rocket, now do I?" _I'll kick their butts and send them all the way to the moon. _I thought as I placed my pokemon on my belt and left the Center. _Next stop: the Slowpoke Well_…

**Bella has to play hero and fight Team Rocket again. I doubt she'll ever be free of them. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	32. Chapter 32

**Now Bella will continue her never-ending struggle with Team Rocket….**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 31: Insects **

"_A business that makes_

_Nothing but money is a poor business._"

-Henry Ford

I left the Pokemon Center and returned to the outskirts of the town. I found the Slowpoke Well, and to my surprise, there two Team Rocket grunts outside. I grabbed a pokeball and called out Misdreavus. She was not too happy to see me, but I explained to her that if she was with me, she would become stronger and she could prank a lot of different people along the way. Most of these people being Team Rocket and that thief I ran into the other day. She agreed to these terms, and was willing to do whatever I asked, "Okay girl, use your Perish Song on them." Misdreavus nodded and opened her mouth; a beautiful song began to dance in the area. It was beautiful, yet sad at the same time; it told the story of a tragic tale. The grunts heard the song, and they glanced around in surprise. After three minutes of hiding from them, the two men fell to the ground; they were unconscious. Perish Song would knock a person or pokemon out within three minutes of being used. A useful ability.

"Good job." I said as I recalled Misdreavus. I quietly crept past the unconscious men and down the stairs of the Well. I began wandering around inside the rock Well; it was dried, but I could feel the remains of the water that once dwelled within. There were a few Slowpoke here and there, but not as many I thought there would be. I continued moving through the Well, and hid in the shadows when I noticed more grunts. A few of the grunts noticed me; I battled them with Cyndaquil and Misdreavus. Cyndaquil would defeat their pokemon, and then Misdreavus would use Perish Song to knock the trainers unconscious. I recalled my pokemon and continued on through the Well.

I eventually came upon a room that must have been carved into the wall; it was filled with cages that were occupied with Slowpoke. They looked both dopey and depressed at the same time. I felt sorry for them. "Its okay, Slowpoke. I'll get you out." I whispered.

"You will, will you?" a female voice asked. I turned around and came face-to-face with a familiar duo.

"Botch and Cassidy!" I spat.

The green-haired man glared at me fiercely, "That's _Butch _'ya stupid little wench!"

"Whatever!" I shot back, "So you two are in charge of this scheme?"

Cassidy smiled, "Of course. You know, the Boss still needs your assistance. More than ever, really."

"He does, does he? And do you two happen to know why?" I asked. _I'd like to know why that 'tard is so interested in hooking me to some machine and making my psychic abilities go insane. _

Botch smirked evilly, "You'll learn that when you come with us."

"In other words," I placed my hands on my hips, "You two don't know."

They both glared at me for a split second before smirking, "Yeah, we don't know," Cassidy muttered, "But you're just as lost as us. Anyway, we'll bring you to our Boss conscious or not." She grabbed a pokeball on her belt and tossed it into the air. It exploded with white light, and morphed into a Raticate.

I grabbed a pokeball at my belt and called out Cyndaquil, "No way!" Hooch grabbed a pokeball at his belt and called on his Primeape. _Two pokemon at once? That's against the rules. But when have international criminals played by the rules? _Cheating would be a life saver this time. I called out Misdreavus and had her join the fun. "Cyndaquil, use your Flame Wheel attack on Raticate! Misdreavus, use your Shadow Ball technique on Primeape!" A black ball with blue lightning surrounding it flew from Misdreavus and slammed into Primeape, causing it to hit the wall. Fire burned the Raticate and wounded it.

"Use Hyper Fang on Cyndaquil!" Cassidy ordered.

Bob pointed at Misdreavus, "Mega Punch!"

"Counter with a Quick Attack Cyndaquil. Pull off a Payback attack Misdreavus!" Cyndaquil teleported behind Raticate and slammed into it. Misdreavus began beating Primeape fiercely.

Bill glared at me, "Primeape, use you're…heh?" Footsteps echoed throughout the Well. I expected them to be more grunts, and braced myself for an even bigger battle. Two people stopped near the door; they were not members of Team Rocket. One was a little boy, who was probably only eleven-years-old. He had medium length purple hair, dark blue eyes, and wore a green short-sleeved shirt with a white collar, and green shorts with sneakers. On his belt were three pokeballs. Beside him was a wounded old man.

The boy looked at me, "Your not with Team Rocket." He stated.

"Uh…no, I'm not," I said with a nervous smile, "A little help kicking their butts would be appreciated, though."

The boy nodded, "Sure," He grabbed a pokeball and called out a Scyther, "Scyther, use your Fury Cutter attack!" It soared past Botch and Cassidy, and sliced into both of their pokemon's sides.

"Thanks. Misdreavus, Shadow Ball and Cyndaquil use your Flame Wheel attack!" Both of my pokemon attacked their targets at once; Raticate and Primeape were knocked unconscious as a result. "Now Misdreavus, finish Hutch and Cassidy with a Perish Song." Misdreavus began to sing.

Botch glared at me, "My name ain't Hutch, it's…" his eyes drooped and he slowly fell to the ground along with his partner.

The boy smiled, "Great job. You're a good pokemon trainer."

"Thanks," I said. I praised my pokemon and recalled them into their pokeballs, "So who are you two, and why are you here?"

"I'm Bugsy Tsukushi, the Azalea Town Gym Leader," The purple-haired boy said, "And this old man here is Kurt; he's famous for crafting different pokeballs."

I nodded, "Cool. Bugsy, can you tell me what Team Rocket wanted with Slowpoke?"

"No," the boy replied, "I just came here to save Kurt." I looked at the old man expectantly.

Kurt sat down on the floor. He was cradling his wounded arm, "I came here to save the Slowpoke from Team Rocket when I found out that they were cutting off the Slowpoke's tails and selling them for high prices. They captured me, and that woman attacked me with Raticate."

"That's so cruel." I whispered.

Bugsy nodded, "Yeah. I'll radio the police." He pulled out a PokeGear and dialed 911. Within minutes, Officer Jenny and her co-workers arrived.

"We'll handle this from here." The blue-haired woman said as her partners collected the unconscious grunts. They freed all of the Slowpoke; it took them a second to realize that they were free. The pokemon happily returned to their Well and the town.

I sighed in relief as I followed Bugsy and Kurt back to the Pokemon Center. There, Nurse Joy gave me a lecture for going after Team Rocket, and then praised me for helping the town. She was happy to heal my injured pokemon for me.

I was sitting at a table waiting for my pokemon with Bugsy. Kurt was receiving treatment from Nurse Joy, "So you're the Gym Leader?"

Bugsy nodded, "Yup. Surprising, huh?"

"Kinda," I giggled. All of the Gym Leaders I had encountered before were either teenagers or adults. None of them were kids. "I actually came here to challenge you."

Bugsy rose to his feet, "Really? Well, when you get your pokemon, we can go ahead and get this challenge over with."

I nodded and went to retrieve my pokemon from Nurse Joy. Once I had them again, I followed Bugsy all the way to his Gym. It looked normal in comparison two the other Gyms I had battled in. The inside reminded me of a greenhouse, like in Erika's Gym. Bugsy crossed to the other side of the Gym and grabbed a pokeball, "We can each use three pokemon, okay?"

"Sure," I said as I grabbed a pokeball. Bugsy called on a green spider with a small face on its year and big black eyes. _So he relies on bug-types? Should've guessed as much. _I thought as I called on Scyther. _Spinarak, the bug/poison type. They are patient hunters. These are forest dwelling pokemon. _"Cut attack!"

"Scyther!" the bug-type cried as he flew at Spinarak. His claws sliced into the smaller bug-type and wounded it.

"Poison Sting!" Bugsy ordered. A stinger shot from Spinarak and injured Scyther, but he was not poisoned.

"Quick Attack!" I ordered. Scyther teleported behind Spinarak and kicked it across the room, "Now use a Wing Attack!" Scyther's wings began to glow white as he flew at Spinarak.

"String Shot!" Bugsy ordered.

Scyther cut through the white web as it was shot at him. His wings sliced at Spinarak, effectively knocking it out. Bugsy recalled his pokemon and summoned a Metapod. I recalled Scyther and summoned Misdreavus. _This should be a piece of cake. _I thought, "Use Shadow Ball." That was the only attack needed to knock the weak Metapod unconscious. I recalled Misdreavus and summoned Cyndaquil.

Bugsy's Scyther was his last and next choice. "Fury Cutter!" the purple-boy ordered.

"Dodge!" Cyndaquil rolled out of the way, "Now use your Flame Wheel attack!" He covered his body in fire as he leapt at Scyther and slammed into it, burning it and causing it to hit the wall.

"Quick Attack!" Scyther teleported behind Cyndaquil and cut him with its long claws, "Now use a Slash attack!" another cut injured my new starter.

"Ember!" I ordered. A stream of fire shot from Cyndaquil's mouth and engulfed Scyther.

"Dispel it and use X-Scissor!" Scyther jumped away from the flames and slashed at Cyndaquil; it created an large X shape wound on Cyndaquil's back.

"Hang in there! Use your Flame Wheel!" I called. Cyndaquil rolled at Scyther and hit it with another fire powered attack. Our pokemon continued to exchange blows; in the end, Scyther was knocked unconscious. Bug-types were weaker than fire-types. I praised my fire-type and recalled him.

Bugsy smiled at me as he walked up to me. He held out his hand, "Here. You deserve this," He said as he handed me my second Johto League badge. It was crimson with black spots on it; I placed the Hive Badge in my case with the Zephyr Badge. Two down and six more to go. "Good luck with the League."

"Thanks. See'ya later." I turned and left the Gym. I dropped by the Pokemon Center before heading off to Route Thirty-Five. There was still plenty of daylight to kill. I checked my map as I moved through the Route. I stopped when I came to a forest. _The Ilex Forest. _I thought as I read both the map and the guidebook. _This is where famous charcoal makers live. It's also the only way I can reach the Route that will lead me towards Goldenrod City. That's where my next badge is. _I placed the map and the guidebook away in my bag and entered the deep forest.

It was a huge change from the barren desert-like area I had just been in. Life filled the forest; Rattata and Pidgey were plentiful. Spinarak hung in the trees, waiting for unsuspecting prey. I even past a few Sentret and their evolved forms, Furret, as I meandered through the woods. After a few hours in the forest, I decided to sit down and have a snack. I pulled some supplies out of my bag and cooked a grilled cheese sandwich for myself. I began eating, and admiring the beauty around me. A small sound caused me to turn around. There was a black dog-like creature behind me. Its nose and mouth were orange; its belly was the same color as its nose and mouth. It had silver armor on top of its head; the armor covered its back in three strips, and even silver braces were wrapped around all four feet. It had a small tail, and dark, sharp crimson irises. It looked hungry and angry.

"Hey!" I said. _Houndour, a dark/fire type. They usually live in packs, and are very loyal. They can be found in forests. This one is male. _"Get out of my bag!" Houndour had been digging around in my bag. He backed away and growled at me. I was about to shoo him away, but then I thought better of it. _He's just hungry. And he looks like a good pokemon to have. Maybe if I catch him and feed him, he'll listen to me. _I quickly called out Misdreavus, "Use your Shadow Ball!" The black ball hit Houndour and knocked him into a tree.

He growled at Misdreavus and opened his mouth. A powerful Ember attack burned my Misdreavus. "Stay in there! Now use your Payback!" She flew at him and beat him with a strong attack. Houndour took the chance and used a strong Bite attack while Misdreavus was close enough. "Perish Song!" She sang, and then I ordered her to use another Shadow Ball to pass the three minutes. Three minutes passed, and the Houndour passed out. I quickly threw a pokeball and caught it. I walked over to it and claimed the pokeball, "Welcome to my team, Houndour," I said and placed it on my belt. "Good job, Misdreavus." I recalled her, sat down, and continued eating my lunch.

After I was finished eating, I packed my stuff and continued through Ilex Forest. I had to campout over night once the sun began to set. The next day, I made it out of the forest and went on to Route Thirty-Six…

**And now she has her second badge, along with her fourth pokemon. Onto the next chapter…**


	33. Chapter 33

**And now Bella can continue one of the main aspects of her dream in this chapter. No, she is not getting her third badge…yet. This is the other dream that is even harder to ascertain. Also, in the beginning of this chapter, one of the characters words are misspelled when she talks. I did that on purpose. Anyway, here it is…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 32: Wishes **

"_All the art of living lies in the fine mingling _

_of letting go and holding on_."

-Henry Ellis

_A little girl was sitting on the floor in her living room watching television. She was no older than three-years-old. She had long, curly blonde hair and bright, moon-blue irises. Her skin was pale. She wore a cute little white nightgown with a blue ribbon on the front. On the television was the images of a long, exciting pokemon battle. The Indigo League was still going strong, and she was hoping that her mother would be the victor. She knew that trainers had to defeat her, but she did not want to see her lose. Her mother was battling a little boy's Venusaur with her strongest pokemon; her strongest was a powerful Nidoqueen. The battle raged on, and ended with her mother losing. The trainer would continue on to fight another member of the Elite Four. _

"_Daddy!" the little girl called, "Mommy lost!" she whined. _

_Her father, who was a man in his thirties, appeared from the kitchen. He had short, light brown hair and moon-blue irises. His skin was tanned, and he wore wearing a baggy t-shirt with jeans and socks. He crossed the room and sat down beside his daughter, "She did? Hm…too bad." _

"_Why'd she lose?" The little girl whimpered. Her older sister, who was around seven or eight, was already in her own bedroom, sleeping. _

_Her father smiled at her, "Well, I guess that trainer just got the best of her," He said simply. She looked like she was going to cry. To his daughter's anger, the man rose to his feet and ran off to her bedroom. He returned to her and sat beside her Indian-style. In his hands he was holding a book. It was about the different legends that circled pokemon. She always cheered up when either he or her mother read it to her, "Hey Bella, do you want to read this with me? I don't understand this…uh…" he rapidly flipped the pages and stopped on her favorite pokemon, "…this pokemon. I can't read the name or understand the story. Can you tell me?"_

_Bella glanced down at the pages and smiled, "Oh! That's Entei!" There was an image of an ancient drawing of a fierce looking pokemon, that resembled a brown lion with a cloud for a tail, "Entei is ah rawre pokiemon, an can be fouwnd in Johho. It was created by Ho-Oh, a legendary pokiemon. After the Tin Tower was burned, Ho-Oh fled. Now, Entei, Raikou, and Suicane protect the burnt remains. It is said that Entei could breathe fire. Better?"_

_He nodded, "Wow, I didn't know that Entei was a really cool pokemon. Thanks, Bella." _

"_No pwob," The little girl giggled. She paused and gazed up at her father. He waited for the reason why she was starring at him, "You rewind me ah Entei."_

_He grinned, "I remind you of Entei?" He chuckled, "Well," his voice deepened, "Then maybe I _am _Entei!_" _He began roaring like a fearsome monster and grabbed his daughter. The man slipped Bella onto his shoulders and began running in circles around their living room. He glided up the stairs and into his youngest daughter's bedroom. He gently tossed her onto her bed, and sat beside her, "Okay, enough playing. Time for bed."_

"_Aw…but I wanna say g'night to Mommy." She whined._

_He smiled, "Its late at night, and you know Mommy will be mad if you stay up late. Now, go to sleep," He kissed her forehead and tucked her in, "Love you, Bells." _

"_I love you too, Daddy." She said as he stood and left her bedroom…_

My eyes opened as my consciousness returned to reality. I sat up and glanced around at my surroundings. I was in the room that I had rented in the Pokemon Center. I sighed and rolled out of bed. _If only he did care. _I thought as I went to the bathroom and took a shower. I got dressed and left the Pokemon Center after eating breakfast. After entering Route Thirty-Six, I wandered around until I found a large city. I stayed in the Pokemon Center there, and went around seeing the sights. I noticed that the trainers there had a thing for trading their pokemon as much as they could. They tried to get me to trade, Cyndaquil, Scyther, Misdreavus, and Houndour; but I refused all of their offers. I did get to meet all kinds of new pokemon, however. After staying the Center for the night, I decided that it was time to move on.

Goldenrod City was my next stop. I began wandering Route Thirty-Seven and Thirty-Eight. The Routes were filled to the brim with powerful trainers; they posed a challenge for my pokemon, but I managed to defeat them in the end. I dropped every Pokemon Center that I found to rest and eat. It took days and days, and I passed through a lot of towns as I went. I even passed a Whooper Daycare Center. It was interesting to see that pokemon. I was reading my guidebook when I noticed something familiar. "Greenfield? A famous and beautiful place. Hey, that's where Mr. Hale and Molly live," I said excitedly. "I wonder if they'll mind if I drop in…" My mother was a good friend of Spencer Hale, a famous researcher. She knew him when she was a schoolgirl. I placed the guidebook in my bag, having decided to visit Hale and his daughter. I quickly found the directions and changed course. It took days for me to even come near Greenfield. More and more powerful trainers challenged me. My pokemon were getting stronger and stronger; I was sure that Cyndaquil would evolve at any time. I eventually found the steps that lead to the top of a steep hill. I climbed the steps and eventually came to the top. I was surprised by what I found.

Brock, Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu were there. Ash was there, too. He had a Chikorita, and it was fighting yellow and brown pokemon with a white head, and a small head for a tail. It was a Girafarig. There was a small playground nearby. Girafarig tried to use a Stomp attack on Chikorita, but it dodged the attack. The grass-type used her Vine Whip to drag the normal/psychic-type to the ground. Girafarig shot at Chikorita with a beam, but it dodged the attack and ran onto the slide. It turned and used Razor Leaf, but was hit with a beam that confused and injured it. It slid down the slide; Ash grabbed his Chikorita and praised it before recalling it. His next pokemon was his Bulbasaur, but it was defeated by some girl's Butterfree. He then called on his own Cyndaquil and had it battle the girl's Mankey. His Cyndaquil won easily. A dopey looking blue water-type was the girl's next choice. It was a Quagsire. Ash sent in Pikachu. Its electric attacks did not take effect, since it was part ground-type, too. Pikachu tried a Tackle, but instead it was whipped away by the Quagsire's tail. So, instead, Pikachu got onto a swing, leapt into the air, and used a powerful Headbutt that injured both of them. Ash and the girl laughed as they embraced their pokemon.

I could not help but giggle at the sight. Brock and Misty turned to me, and smiled. Ash was happy to see me, too. I smiled back and waved, "Hey. Long time no see."

"Bella! It's been a while." Misty said.

I walked up to her and hugged her; she hugged me back. I released her, and soon found my hand being captured by Brock, "Are you still considering that date?"

"No," I said flatly, "But its nice seeing you again," I looked at the girl. She must have been around sixteen. She had long, black hair and wore a bright red bandana with a white pokeball on it. A bright red short with mid-long sleeves covered her torso. She wore a bright green backpack and black shorts, too, "Who're you? I'm Bella Vanielle."

"Lisa Rin," The girl replied, "Nice to meet you."

"Same." I said.

"Anybody up for some lunch?" Brock asked from behind.

I raised my hand and we all said "Yes!" at the same time. Brock chuckled and began setting up cooking supplies near a wooden picnic table. Lisa called out her Granbull, Aipom, Butterfree, Quagsire, Girafarig, and Mankey.

Ash called out his Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Chikorita, and Noctowl. His Pikachu was already outside of its pokeball. I also called out my Cyndaquil, Scyther, Misdreavus, and Houndour. Everyone, excluding the cook, sat down at the table. "So Bella, what've you been up to?" Ash asked.

"Well, I went and got my Cyndaquil from Professor Elm. I got my Zephyr Badge and Hive Badge, and now I'm going to Goldenrod City to get my third badge." I explained.

He smiled, "Cool. I've just got my second badge, too."

A few minutes later, Brock finished brewing lunch and we all began eating. He fed of all of our pokemon before consuming his own food. "I have to admit that I'm impressed Ash," Lisa said as she ate, "Your one of the toughest trainers I've ever seen."

"Thanks Lisa," Ash laughed, "But you almost beat me."

Misty bit into her sandwich, "This is his fifth battle this weak," She swallowed, "His pokemon are getting tired."

I nodded, "My pokemon are pretty tired, too. I've had at least four battles." I shook my head and took another bit out of my sandwich.

"Say Lisa, would you happen to know if there's a Pokemon Center nearby?" Brock asked.

Lisa nodded and gestured west, "There's one just over the mountains in Greenfield."

"Greenfield is that way?" I asked. She nodded, "Good. I was actually going there to check out the sights."

Misty looked as though she were in thought, "Oh, now I know what you two are talking about. I was trying to figure out what Greenfield was. I heard that it so beautiful! I've always wanted to see it ever since I was a little girl."

"Me, too," Lisa and I said simultaneously. We paused, looked at each other, and laughed. I noticed that she had light brown eyes. Lisa continued, "I know the quickest way to get there." She began recalling all of her pokemon. Ash and I recalled our own pokemon, too. Instead of recalling Cyndaquil, though, I picked him up and carried him as we packed up and began running up a trail that was on a nearby hill. Lisa's Aipom happily leapt through the trees as we went. Pikachu rode on Ash's shoulder, while Misty carried her beloved Togepi.

"I've heard that everything is beautiful in Greenfield." Misty mused.

Brock smiled, "So everything in Greenfield is beautiful, huh? Man, I can wait to see all the girls!"

"Its over that hill!" Lisa announced. We all took off running towards the hill, and stopped just near the top. I was smiling as I gazed at the lush green grass, and beautiful yellow and white floors. My smile soon vanished, though. Half of the field was made of glimmering crystal. There was even a giant, crystal tower in the distance.

I stared at it in disbelief, "What…happened?" I held Cyndaquil as I moved to a spot where I could see better.

Lisa replied to my question, "I don't know." She breathed.

The roar of a motorcycle caught our attention. I turned and found one of the Officer Jennies riding a motorcycle on the dirt road. She wore a grim expression as she stopped. A News van was behind her. The reporter and the camera man got out and began shooting the scene. I looked back to the scene, disbelief still on my face. "C'mon," Lisa said, "Let's go to the Pokemon Center." I nodded in agreement and followed her up the path until we came to the Pokemon Center.

I ran inside and had Nurse Joy heal my pokemon; Ash was next in line, with Lisa behind him. It took an hour or so for all of our pokemon to be healed. I took back my pokeballs and carried Cyndaquil outside. Ash, Lisa, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu followed me. I noticed that a group of trucks and cars were arriving. The broadcasters were there, too. I ignored them and waited to see who this 'Emergency Response Team' was. Professor Oak was the first to step out of a car. Delia and Mom were the next.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Professor?" Ash asked, "And Mom?"

Pikachu scurried up to Delia, "Hello Pikachu," She said as she hugged the electric rodent. She looked at Ash, "Oh, hi honey."

"Bella," Mom said worriedly, "When did you get here?"

"A couple of hours ago," I replied, "What're you doing here?"

She sighed, "I head that Spencer disappeared a few days ago."

"Spencer?" I asked, surprised, "Professor Hale?" _He's gone!? But how can that…? _I looked down at the ground in thought.

"Professor Hale?" Ash asked curiously.

Delia nodded, "Uh-huh. Spencer used to live in Pallet Town, but he moved away and came here. He visited a few years ago," she handed her son a picture, "Remember?"

"Well, sorta." The raven-haired boy scratched his head in thought. He handed the picture back to her.

I looked towards the crystal tower, "Is that Mr. Hale's mansion?"

"M-hm." My mother nodded.

Delia sighed sadly, "First Spencer's wife left him, and now all of this." Pikachu suddenly leapt up; sparks began flying from its cheeks as it growled.

"What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

My jaw dropped when I saw something huge leap into view from behind the building. _That's…impossible. _I thought. It was a large creature covered in long, light brown fur. A large mane made it look even more intimidating. It had red and yellow spikes around its eyes, and gray spikes that pointed downwards around its mouth that resembled a mustache. Some of its mane near the bottom was white. Gray spikes protruded from its sides near the top of its back. Its tail covered its back and flowed freely; its gray tail looked as though it were made of clouds. Black braces were fixed around its ankles, and it even had white feet. "What is that!?" Lisa gasped.

"That's Entei!" I accidentally spoke my own thoughts, mainly out of complete shock. _But I thought that that was just a legend. _

Entei glared at Delia as she rose from her seat, "Who are you?" She asked.

"_You. Are. Mama!_" I heard him growl telepathically, and in a male voice. Delia stopped and gazed at him.

She looked like she was under a trance, "Take me. Take me to my…child." She whispered in a monotone voice as she went limp and fell. Entei caught her on his back and took off running.

"Hey!" Ash cried. I followed him as he and Pikachu gave chase. The electric rodent managed to catch Entei's tail as he fled. It tried an electric attack, but was knocked off before it could take effect. We shoved past the news reporters and sprinted after the Entei, desperate to catch it and save Delia. Our run was cut short when Brock caught us both before we could enter the crystal wasteland. Entei ran off with an unconscious Delia on his back. Ash fell to the ground and punched it in anger, "Dammit! I couldn't save her!" He yelled. I gazed at the Entei's retreating form. _Entei…what do you think your doing? _I wondered. We reluctantly returned to the Pokemon Center.

Everyone was quiet. The moment was grim, and dark. Lisa was the first to speak, "Bella," I looked at her, "What did you call that thing?"

"Hm? Oh," I was surprised that she even heard me, "It was an Entei…I think."

"Entei?" Professor Oak asked, "Follow me," Everyone did as he said and followed him into the Pokemon Center. He lead us to a computer, sat down, and began opening random files after logging on. Images of ancient artifacts regarding Entei appeared, "Yes, that pokemon was an Entei." 

"Entei?" Ash asked, "What is that?"

"It's a legendary pokemon," I replied, "It's been said that Entei was created by Ho-Oh thousands of years ago. But no-one has been able to prove that it actually exists."

Professor Oak nodded, "Yes," he looked up at a man with brown hair, whom I just noticed, "Professor Hale was researching the Unown before he disappeared, correct?"

"The Unown?" I asked.

The man, named Schuyler, nodded, "Yes." I glanced out of the window. Night had already fallen. I remembered meeting an Unown when I was very little. Back when Team Rocket brought me to some ruins, I found a strange, living letter. They called it an Unown, and would not let me near it.

"No-one really knows anything about the Unown. It has been rumored that they hail from a different dimension." Professor Oak said as he opened more files regarding the Unown.

Schuyler sighed, "It has to be because of the Unown. They must be connected to Hale's disappearance, Entei, and even the crystallization."

Without warning, an image of a little blonde girl in a blue dress with a blue bow appeared on the computer screen, "_Mama and Papa and me just want to stay by ourselves for ever and ever. So stay away, and leave us alone._" The image vanished.

It was Molly, "Did she just say that her mother and father were with her?" Professor Oak asked.

"That can't be," Misty said, "You said that Professor Hale disappeared, didn't you?"

Schuyler nodded, "Yes."

"And what about her mother?" Lisa asked.

_She left Hale years ago, and Hale disappeared. _My brows furrowed in confusion. _None of this makes any sense._ I still held Cyndaquil in my arms. "Very strange." Professor Oak muttered.

Ash turned and sprinted down the stairs and ran out of the Pokemon Center with Pikachu on his shoulder. Misty, Brock, Lisa, and I all ran after him. We stopped near the crystal wasteland outside. "What're you doing?" I asked.

"I'm gonna save my mom!" Ash replied.

Misty sighed, "Well then will you at _least _take all of us with you?"

"Yeah." Brock agreed.

Lisa sighed, "If your doing something then you should at least take my PokeGear," She tossed it to Ash, "Use this to keep in touch with the Pokemon Center. And if Professor Oak finds out what your doing, then I didn't know." She turned and ran back.

I recalled Cyndaquil, "Let's go. I have a PokeGear, too." Ash nodded. We quickly ran to the wasteland and found a river to walk through.

"At least the water is normal." Misty mused. It took us a few minutes to find a waterfall. I wondered absently how we planned to climb it.

Ash called out his Bulbasaur and Chikorita; they were at the top. They used their Vine Whip to create makeshift robes and help Ash climb up. I watched as he carefully began making his way up the waterfall. He slipped and began kicking around, but soon regained his balance and continued climbing. Eventually he made it to the top, and soon I was climbing up. It was hard, but I made it to the top. Brock and then Misty were next. Ash recalled his pokemon, and we continued down the stream. A ringing scared us. Ash grabbed Lisa's PokeGear and answered it.

"Okay…" he said, "No, not yet…yes, sir…even…people?" He hung up and called out his Cyndaquil. "Use Flamethrower!" Fire shot from its mouth and created a hole in a large bubbled entrance. "Great job!" But it closed. Brock called on his Vulpix and I called out my Cyndaquil.

"Alright, Flamethrower!" All three of us said at once.

Ash called out Totodile, while Misty called on Staryu. "Water Gun!" They cried. The water was keeping the door open. I recalled Cyndaquil and ran into the water. My clothes were soaked by the time I made it inside. Misty and Brock, after recalling Vulpix, were next. Pikachu came through. Then Ash grabbed Staryu and Totodile, and then sprinted inside after recalling his Cyndaquil. He then recalled Totodile, and Misty recalled her Staryu. The door resealed itself. We quickly ran towards a darkened, never-ending, gigantic room with a set of winding crystal stairs. I climbed the stairs, my feet echoing off of the crystal as I did so. The stairs changed suddenly so that they were made of green light.

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

I shook my head, "Dunno." We quickly began making our way to the top. We came out in a gigantic, beautiful, and peaceful field. I had a feeling that this was what Greenfield looked like originally. A blue sky hung above us.

"This must be part of Molly's dream world." Brock said.

_The mind of a little girl. _I thought. We ran towards the stairs, but came to a stop when Entei appeared. There was a seventeen-year-old girl on his back. She wore a blue dress, a white cap, and had long, wavy blonde hair. "You guys are pokemon trainers, right?" she asked.

"Where's my mother?" Ash asked.

She leapt off of Entei and landed on the ground, "Then let's have a battle."

"Shut-up and tell me where my mom is!" Ash ordered.

She smiled, "Your no fun."

"Entei!" Ash shouted, "You took my mother now where is she!?"

The girl stepped forward, "There's no Entei! It's just my Mama and my Papa and me!" She stated firmly.

"There's one right behind you!" I shouted.

Brock stepped forward, "Are you Molly?"

"Yes." The girl said.

"But Brock she's too old to be Professor Hale's daughter." Misty whispered.

I shook my head, "The Unown can grant anything she wants. _Anything_." I reminded her.

"Are you gonna battle me or not?" the girl asked.

Ash nodded, "Yeah!"

But Brock stood in front of him, "I'll do it. You can go save your mother." Ash nodded, and he, Misty, and I all ran for the stairs. I watched as the ground between Molly and Brock became an arena. We ran into the next floor before we could see anything else. The room before us was made of blueish branches and purple floating orbs. It was extremely dark, yet bright enough for us to see as we ran up the stairs. The next floor was a beautiful beach with bright red flowers. We were about to go to the stairs, but then an older Molly with an Entei materialized.

"Guess Brock couldn't beat her." Misty whispered.

Entei glared at us, "_Molly cannot be beaten._"

"Which one of you wants to battle me _this _time?" Molly smiled at us as she spoke.

Ash looked towards Entei, "It must be an illusion, too."

"Yeah…that can't be a real Entei." I agreed.

Molly giggled, "Which one of you is a stronger trainer than your friend?"

"I am!" Ash cried.

Misty held out her hand, "Hold it, Ash. Let _me _battle her this time," she looked at Molly, "I'm Misty, and I used to be the Gym Leader of Cerulean City."

"You're a Gym Leader?" Molly asked, "So you don't have to be a grownup to be a Gym Leader?"

"_You can become anything you wish._" Entei said.

She smiled, and slowly morphed back into a little girl, younger than me. Ash, Pikachu, and I quickly sprinted up the stairs. I cried out in surprise as the entire area was engulfed with water; but I quickly found out that I could still breathe. I continued following Ash until we were in the strange, dark room again. The next room was a crystallized bedroom. Delia was sitting on the bed with a sleeping Molly on her lap. "Mom!" Ash cried.

"Mrs. Ketchum!" I called.

"Ash! Bella!" she said in surprise, "Where did you come from?"

"We came to save you." I said.

Ash looked around, "This place is under the Unown's control. Entei was made by them, and so was this entire place."

"Oh dear." Delia quickly woke Molly.

She smiled up at Delia, "I was dreaming Mama."

"Molly…I'm sorry…but, I'm not your Mama," she said firmly, "We have to go now."

The girl was crestfallen, "But…why?"

"I'm not your real mother, Molly," Delia said, "just please come with us. I'm Ash's mother."

"Do you remember us Molly?" I asked softly.

Molly's lip began to tremble, "I won't…I won't…NO!" Crystal spikes shot up from the floor. Ash and I were separated from Delia.

"Mom!" Ash cried as he ran to her, "Let's go!" I watched as Delia tried to come with us, but Entei appeared with the distraught and very real Molly. A spike came up, preventing Delia's escape.

Ash began to beat against the spikes, "Mom! Mom!"

"_Begone!_" I turned, and saw that Entei was nearby.

I shook my head, "No way Entei! Not without Ash's mother." I grabbed a pokeball at my side and called on Cyndaquil. Molly was behind him.

"_No! Now she is _Molly's_ mother._" Entei insisted.

"Well she's coming with us." Ash growled angrily. Pikachu agreed.

Entei moved to an defensive position, "_She is staying here. Leave this place, or be destroyed._"

"That's what you think!" I spat.

Ash grabbed a pokeball and called out his Totodile. "_You think you can defeat me?_"

"I'm not leaving without my mother," Ash shouted, "and I won't lose to some illusion. Totodile, use Water Gun!"

"Cyndaquil, use your Flamethrower attack!" I ordered. Fire and water flew at Entei all at once. He dodged the attack faster than a blink of an eye.

"_You fools! See if _this _is an illusion!_" He opened his mouth and created bright, pink and purple fire with a red and orange hue. The fire almost hit Cyndaquil and Totodile, but they dodged the attack. He continued firing until he sent both of them flying. Ash recalled his Totodile, while I caught my Cyndaquil with my arms. I cocked my head around; I was standing to the edge of room. If I fell, I would be impaled by the crystal spikes below.

Cyndaquil jumped out of my arms and glared at Entei, "Use another Flamethrower!" I cried. More purple flames hit Cyndaquil. He flew into the air and landed on the ground. "Cyndaquil!" I cried. He struggled to his feet and attacked Entei with another Flamethrower. Entei attacked, but Cyndaquil dodged the assault. Pikachu soon joined the fray as a blizzard kicked up. Lightning, purple and pink fire and red fire was thrown back and forth. One of the attacks hit Cyndaquil and flung him over the edge.

"Cyndaquil!" I cried as I reached for him desperately. My arms wrapped around my fire-type. But I had run too far. I looked down, and found that I was falling off of the edge. I screamed as I feel to the my doom below. Ash soon joined me as he and his Pikachu were knocked off. I was almost sure that we would die, but then I landed on something. Something else caught Ash and Pikachu. I looked down at what I was sitting on and smiled broadly, "Charizard! Both of them!"

Ash's Charizard was cradling him in its arms, while I was sitting on my Charizard's back. Charizard smiled up at me and Cyndaquil, and then flew back to the top of the room. He and Ash's Charizard landed in the room, and allowed us to jump back onto the crystallized floor. "_What is this_?" Entei growled.

"They're our friends!" Ash shouted.

"_Your friends?_" Entei asked.

I nodded, "And they're like family to us."

"_Then I will destroy your family along with you._" He said threateningly. Both Charizards roared in anger at him. More spikes began shooting from the ground. Ash nearly fell off, but Brock, Misty, James, Meowth, Jessie, and I all caught him.

I looked at Team Rocket, "Where'd you two come from?"

"Uh…that's kinda a long story." James replied. Misty and Brock must have joined us from the lower floors.

Misty looked at them after we pulled Ash up, "Why are you helping out?"

"Yeah, your bad guys." Ash agreed.

James looked nervous, "Well…you see…"

"Without you we'd be outta show business." Meowth joked.

Ash turned to Molly and Delia, "Molly. If you come with us, we can find your real mother and father."

"_She already has a father!_" Entei shouted as he attacked the Charizards and Ash. Ash mounted his Charizard and took off into the air. My Charizard flew after them to try and aid them.

I ran across the battlefield and dropped to my knees front of Molly, "Molly, please," I begged, "Stop this!"

"Why?" the blonde girl shot back, "You don't know how it feels!"

I looked down at the floor, "Molly…" I whispered softly, "I know how it feels…when it seems like a parent has abandoned you. My father…he doesn't want anything to do with me," a tear slid down my cheek as painful memories flooded in my mind, "I know the loneliness and the hurt it causes. You have your Papa, and I have my Mama. You don't have your Mama, and I don't have my Papa. And now your Papa has disappeared. I'm sorry Molly…but please, killing others isn't the way to handle the situation." I gestured to my wounded Cyndaquil. The roaring and blasts ceased as my Charizard, Ash, his Charizard, and Entei went to the roof.

"Please Molly!" Delia begged. There was another explosion; smoke filled the entire room, blinding everyone including me. Ash was still on his Charizard's back. My Charizard was still flying and fighting. Spikes continued to appear; Ash, Charizard, and my Charizard managed to dodge them, but they were having trouble. They finally crashed inside of the room. Entei pounced on Ash's Charizard while mine fell to the ground, too tired to fight. Entei held Ash's Charizard down and prepared to kill it.

"Stop!" Ash cried.

"_This will end it!_" Entei growled. He was about to blow Charizard's head off.

"Stop!" We all turned, and saw Molly standing before him. She ran up to him and hugged his leg, "Please Papa! No more fighting! No more…" she sobbed. Entei backed away from Charizard.

I ran to my Charizard and embraced both him and Cyndaquil. "You're a great pokemon trainer, Molly," Brock praised. Molly looked at him, surprised, "A big part of being a trainer is knowing when to stop."

"You already have the right instincts." Misty added.

Ash nodded, "We may battle hard but we always stay friends."

"That's right," I agreed, "Come with us Molly. We'll help you."

Delia nodded, "Its just what…your Papa would want." Molly hesitantly walked up to her and embraced Delia.

"I want things real again." She whimpered.

I watched as the tower slowly began to change into what it had once been. The field slowly began to become lush flowers again. Entei turned to leave. "Papa?"

He looked at her, "_I was created to be the perfect father. If you'd rather be in the real world, then I must go._" That was when everything fell apart. Spikes began to shoot up from the ground rapidly. We all began running away, following Entei as he led us to the exit.

"Charizard, take Molly." Ash ordered.

I recalled my Cyndaquil and mounted my Charizard's back, "Let's go! We'll take care of the spikes!" He flew downwards into the room with the stairs. Ash's Charizard, who was carrying Molly, followed us. Ash and the others began sprinting down the stairs. Charizard used his Flamethrower to destroy the spikes and dodge them. After fleeing, we finally came to another crystallized room. I could see a large group of Unown, which looked like letters, floating in the air.

"The Unown are doing this!" Ash said, "Charizard, break through them!"

I nodded, "You too, Charizard!" Both of our dragons used through Flamethrowers to try and break through the barrier protecting them. Pikachu tried to help, but none of our attacks were effective. Spikes continued to appear.

"Let us go!" Ash ordered. They ignored us. At that point, I was not sure whether we should have given up or not. All of that changed when I heard a roar in the distance. I looked up just as another explosion filled the room. Entei leapt to the floor and glared at the Unown.

"_Molly,_" he said, "_I was…happy and proud to be father. The last thing that I can do for you is to take you out of this place."_

"But how?" Molly asked.

Entei continued, "_I was born of your dreams…if you believe in me, there is nothing that I cannot do._" He roared and leapt up at the Unown as they continued to orbit in a complete circle. The barrier kept him from passing. Entei opened his mouth and used another purple blast; it exploded against the barrier, yet nothing happened. Entei released another roar as he leapt at the barrier and rammed his head against it. Instead of flying back, he continued to use all of his strength as he tried to use his Headbutt attack to break the barrier.

"Papa!" Molly cried.

"_Molly!_" Entei called back, "_Help me!_"

Ash turned to Molly, "You have to believe in Entei! Believe that it can stop the Unown!"

"Use all of your faith!" I added. Entei tried to force its way into the barrier; I watched on in horror as he was electrocuted, and yet he pressed on.

"_Believe in me! If that is what you wish!_" Entei encouraged.

Molly's lower lip trembled as she shouted, "You can do it Entei!" Both of our Charizards joined the fray, as did Ash's Pikachu. _Please Entei…don't give up! _I thought as I prayed that he could break through. The Unown began to fly around rapidly. Suddenly, the barrier broke, and Entei created a powerful, sky-blue blast that warded the Unown off. They slowly fell to the floor and began to vanish one-by-one.

Entei's body began to shimmer as he hovered in the air, "_Molly…I must go._"

"I'm gonna miss you, Entei." Molly whimpered.

"_Keep me close, in your dreams._" Entei whispered before exploding into millions of white and blue fireflies.

Tears streaked Molly's cheeks, "Papa…" All of the remaining Unown transformed into tiny stone cubes. I was soon blinded by an explosion of light as the crystal stronghold became a beautiful, normal mansion. The fields returned to their lush, gorgeous self. The sun was rising outside. We all left the mansion, and found a wide parking lot with a lovely water fountain.

I smiled, "Hm…Greenfield is pretty." I mused as I gazed at the wide fields and beautiful yellow and white flowers. Cars drove into the lot, and Professor Oak stepped out.

"C'mon, Molly." Misty said. We all rejoined the others in the lot.

Mom embraced me, a worried look on her face, "I was worried about you, Bella. But you were just fine, right?"

I nodded, "M-hm," and looked at Charizard, "How did you know that I was in trouble?"

"Oh, I brought Charizard with me in his pokeball," Mom said, "I called him out when I heard that you left."

I laughed, "Good thinking, Mom." I took his pokeball back and aimed it at Charizard, "Thank-you for saving me, buddy." I hugged my starter around his neck and then recalled him. I handed the pokeball back to my Mom. Ash's Charizard took flight; it was returning to a valley where wild Charizard dwelled. The rest of us returned to the Pokemon Center. I told my mother 'goodbye' as she left Greenfield. I said the same to Lisa, Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu before walking down the next Route. _My adventures will never end, will they? _I thought as I watched as a few Pidgey flew over head. I paused and sat down on a rock. I pulled my sketchbook out of my pack and a mechanical pencil. My hand glided up and down on the page as my mind was lost in my memories. After an hour or two, I had drawn a picture of Entei with Molly cuddled beside him. I even drew a few of Unown playing together on another page. After adding the sketches to my collection, I placed my book in my pack, and then continued on my way…

**Yes, that was just the third movie, and the third movie chapter. Now Bella has added two more sketches of rare and legendary pokemon to her collection. This chapter took SIXTEEN pages. My longest chapter yet. Well, please review and I will update soon…**


	34. Chapter 34

**Now for Bella to continue on the road to get her next badge. Thus far, she has a Cyndaquil, a Scyther, a Misdreavus, and a Houndour. Well, here it is…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 33: Normal **

"_All wars are civil,_

_because all men are brothers._"

-Francois Fenelon

After surviving the battle with Entei and the Unown, I continued down the next Route. The road was packed full of strong trainers; I was relieved that I had decided to stop by the Pokemon Center in Greenfield. Cyndaquil healed beautifully after the punishment that Entei had dished out the other night. Houndour resented when I had first caught him, but he soon grew to like me; so it was not too difficult commanding him. Scyther was a very powerful and use pokemon against others; he was my preferred bug-type. And then Misdreavus could handle foes easily; I never truly realized how powerful ghost-types were. I continued on Route Thirty-Nine, dropping by a random Pokemon Center every now and then, due to excessive battling with other trainers.

Eventually, I came upon another city. At that city, a little blue book was extremely popular. When I asked a group of kids about it, they told me that I needed to get my own. Apparently, their parents prohibited them from letting strangers look at it. So, I asked around until someone told me to drop by the Daycare Center. There, I met a couple, an old man and an old lady, who were more than willing to let me read a copy of the book. I bought a copy of the book. I read the instructions, and found out that it matched the birthdays of humans, and that would decide which pokemon they would be if they were a pokemon. I opened the book and flipped through it, searching for my birthday. Eventually I came to September 2, and I gazed down at the picture and name expectantly. I scored as a Vulpix. _The Vulpix have friendly personalities, but can sometimes become a little spoiled. They usually try to avoid confrontation, and will do anything necessary to avoid it. _I felt that it matched me. After examining the book and stopping by the Pokemon Center, I went on to the next Route…

Weeks passed, and eventually I came upon Goldenrod City. I was relieved when I finally arrived. My pokemon were absolutely exhausted after battling so many tough trainers. I quickly ran to the Pokemon Center and let Nurse Joy heal my injured and tired pokemon. It was late at night, so I rented out a room and quickly ran upstairs to my bedroom. The next day, I awoke and retrieved my pokemon from Nurse Joy. I bid farewell to the Nurse, and then set out to find the Gym. The city was gigantic; I was forced to check a map here and there. It was the biggest city I had ever been in, really. As I ran through the city, I found out that the Department Store was very famous in Johto. The Goldenrod Game Corner was very popular, too; I discovered quickly that it was not ruled by Team Rocket, like Celadon City's Game Corner had been. There was also a long railway; there was a popular train station in the city, and it made traveling through it easier for its residents and visitors. Finally, after almost two hours of running in circles, checking maps, and talking to people, I finally found the Goldenrod City Gym.

I was shocked by what I saw. The Goldenrod City Gym…it was normal. It was not completely decked out in wild decorations or anything. It was just a tall, good looking building. _This is the only normal Gym I have seen in either Kanto or Johto. _I thought as I entered the building. The inside was very plain, and nothing really amazing. It was just a plain old arena. I shrugged, "Hey! Is the Gym Leader here?"

"Yes!" A girl ran around out of another door. She stopped in front of me and smiled. She had medium length pink hair that was tied into two, adorable little pigtails. Her irises were dark crimson. She wore a white, short-sleeved shirt that was lined with bright pink and white shorts to match. Knee-high socks and white shoes were added to the mix, "I'm the Goldenrod City Gym Leader, Whitney Akane. Are you challenger?"

I nodded, "Yeah. I'm Bella Vanielle, from Pallet Town. I've come here for my Plain Badge."

"I see," She nodded. I watched as she crossed the room to the other side of the Gym, "Well my ref isn't here right now, but that's OK. I'll be the Gym Leader and the referee," She said as she grabbed a pokeball out of her pocket, "Only three pokemon each, okay?"

I fished a pokeball off of my belt, "No prob." And called out Misdreavus.

"Alright!" Whitney threw a pokeball into the air, and a Clefairy appeared. It was a normal-type, so I guessed that Whitney based all of her pokemon on normal-types. That would explain the name of the badge, too. There was one thing that I learned after being a pokemon trainer for a year. What I learned is this: Gym Leaders always focused on one type instead having various like most pokemon trainers. That put them at a disadvantage; a trainer could always have a type or two that is strong against all of their pokemon. But that was what made Gym Leaders so difficult. They would train their pokemon against what hurt them the most to try and lessen the damage. It did not do much, but it was better than nothing.

Whitney pointed at Misdreavus, "Use your Pound attack, Clefairy!"

"Shadow Ball!" I ordered. The ebony colored ball hit Clefairy before it could wound her. "Now, use Quick Attack." Misdreavus teleported behind Clefairy and slammed it against the wall.

Whitney furrowed her eyebrows, "Eh…use your Metronome attack."

"Oh crud," I muttered, remembering what happened the last time a Clefairy, or a whole group of them, used that attack. "Quickly Misdreavus, prepare a Payback attack after Clefairy attacks."

Clefairy began doing its silly little hand movement. Once again, I found my eyes and upper body following its movement; Misdreavus's eyes were doing the same thing. When Clefairy ceased, I braced myself for whatever was to come. A blast escaped from Clefairy's hands and hit my ghost-type, wounding her greatly. "That was Psychic!" I cried. _Great, just great. _I thought angrily, "Are you OK Misdreavus?" She nodded, prepared to continue the battle, "Alright, use Payback!" She flew at Clefairy and began to beat her without mercy. "Now finish it with a Shadow Ball!" The black ball was all we needed to defeat Clefairy.

"Okay, okay!" Whitney said frantically. She quickly recalled her wounded Clefairy. She fished for another pokeball in her pocket, found one, and tossed it into the air. Her next pokemon was a Nidorina. Just seeing her brought back memories of my own Nidorina. I missed her.

I shook my head and recalled Misdreavus; Houndour quickly took her place in the battlefield. "Fire Fang!" I ordered. His mouth caught on fire as he leapt at Nidorina and bit her side. Nidorina cried out in pain.

"Use Scratch!" Whitney ordered. Her Nidorina scratched Houndour's face, causing him to recoil in pain.

My eyes narrowed in concentration, "Use your Flamethrower attack, Houndour," He nodded, opened his mouth, and released a blast of flames that engulfed Nidorina mercilessly. "Now use a Crunch attack," He bit her with an extremely vicious and powerful attack, "Now finish it with a Fire Fang." That was all that was needed to finish Nidorina.

Whitney was surprised, "Wow…I thought that you were a newbie or something. Your not a newbie."

"Of course not," I smiled proudly, "I participated in the Indigo League; I got my very first pokemon a year ago."

She smiled, "Then I won't have to take it easy on you, will I?" She recalled Nidorina and then summoned her last pokemon. I was unfamiliar with it. It was a pink cow-like creature with a white stomach and black designs. It was too big to carry, but not any taller than me. _Miltank, a normal-type. They dislike battle, and usually try to avoid it. They can be found in fresh fields and pastures. _It looked like a pushover, but I learned that looks can be deceiving.

I recalled Houndour and then summoned Cyndaquil, "Alright Cyndaquil, begin with a Flamethrower attack." Fire shot from his mouth.

"Rollout attack, Miltank!" The normal-type leapt into the air, and then landed in the form of a ball. It took off rolling at Cyndaquil with incredible speed. The flames hit the creature and burned it some, but they were not enough to stop it. Miltank hit Cyndaquil and sent him soaring into the air. The damage was more than I originally guessed that it would be. Miltank rolled around and hit Cyndaquil again.

Miltank came around again, "Evade, Cyndaquil!" He jumped out of the way before it could run over him. But then it turned around and slammed into my poor Cyndaquil once more. "Use a Flame Wheel attack!" I ordered. They collided; my Cyndaquil slammed into the ceiling as a result, and then hit the floor. "Oh no, Cyndaquil!" I cried. I ran to my pokemon and embraced him. "Your OK little buddy, I won't let them hurt you anymore." I whispered.

"Quil…" the fire-type whimpered.

I embraced my pokemon, feeling guilty for not realizing the danger that he was in sooner. All of my worry melted away when Cyndaquil brightened until he was completely white. Memories of my battle with Surge flooded my mind. Oh how ironic it was, for my second starter ended up evolving during my fight with the third Gym Leader after being injured badly. And both of my starters had been fire-types, too. Cyndaquil slowly grew bigger until he was too big to carry, but no-where near as tall as me. His back was black and the bottom half of his body was crème-yellow. He now had a mohawk that that was made of fire, and a spiky, short, tail that was also made of flames. His ears reminded me of a cat, and his eyes were open now; they were sharp and alert. The irises were crimson. He had become an entirely new pokemon. _Quilava, the fire-type. They are less timid than its pre-evolution; their personalities heavily depend on their surroundings. They can adapt to many habitats, but they are usually found in the care of a trainer. _

"Quilava…?" I asked, feeling surprised. Quilava leapt from my arms and landed in front of Miltank.

Whitney looked surprised, "Your pokemon evolved in the middle of the battle? Wow…so are you gonna quit?"

"No way." I said firmly.

She crossed her arms and smirked, "Fine. Miltank, use another Rollout."

"Alright, use your…" I began as Miltank began rolling towards us. Quilava interrupted my attack as fire exploded from his back. It flew at Miltank and completely engulfed it, with molten rocks appearing and being added to the mix. It exploded, causing smoke to make me recoil. I opened my eyes and found that Miltank was knocked unconscious. I checked my pokédex and found that he had just learned Eruption. "Wow," I breathed. Quilava turned around and tackled me to the ground, licking my face excitedly. I embraced my fire-type, "Good job Quilava! You were awesome!"

Whitney sighed and recalled her Miltank. She crossed the arena and fished for something in her pocket, "Your pretty good. My other challengers had to fight me at least twice to beat me. Your Quilava is _really _powerful." She handed me a glinting item.

I looked down at my hand and smiled. The badge was just a simple gold square, nothing very special. I opened my case and placed it with the: Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, and now my new Plain Badge. I slipped the case back into my pack and bowed, "That was a great battle, Whitney. Your Miltank was really strong; I was a hundred percent sure that you were going to quick my butt until Cyndaquil evolved," Quilava nodded in agreement. I recalled Quilava, "Have a good day." And left the Gym. I dropped by the Pokemon Center before leaving Goldenrod City…

**She has her third badge. And, her new starter, evolved pretty much the same way. Whether this will be a pattern for a Hoenn to follow or not, that will be revealed when Hoenn starts. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	35. Chapter 35

**Sorry for my long absence. Thank-you to all who have read and reviewed my fic during my extremely break. Now, I would like to say this before going on with the chapter. I might be planning a sequel for this story, although the plot will be completely different and will focus on a new OC. I will probably post the prologue of the sequel when I post the epilogue of this story. Now for the next chapter. This is just a filler before Bella goes on to get her fourth badge. As I'm sure you can all tell, I'm not very good at thinking of fillers. I usually try to stay with the storyline. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 34: Assault **

"_All change is not growth,_

_as all movement is not forward._"

-Ellen Glasgow

I decided to leave Goldenrod City early so that I could make it to Ecruteak City as soon as possible. I moved down the Route, simply enjoying the scenery as I went. While I was on the road to Ecruteak, I ran into the National Park. There was a Bug Catching Contest, and I was actually thinking of joining. But I decided not to when they said that I could keep whichever bugs I caught. I may have not been as scared as I used to be, but I still was not a big fan of the bug-types, so I went on my way. I could live without a Sun Stone. I continued down the Route, fighting as many trainers as I possibly could. I heard a rumor that the Gym Leader's pokemon would be difficult to beat, so I decided to try and get ahead. I dropped by a random Pokemon Center every now and then to heal my injured pokemon before going on. Two weeks passed, and eventually I found Ecruteak City. The city was not too big nor too small. I stopped by the Pokemon Center before deciding to check out the sights.

I found out that Ecruteak City was an ancient city that had been around for thousands of years. It was famous for its Kimono Dance Theater. It was a fancy, oriental-styled building. The dancers consisted of a group of four teenager girls. They had a younger sister. The eldest sister had a long, wavy black hair. She possessed a Jolteon. The second born had short, wavy dark green hair. She had her very own Vaporeon. The third born had long, straight purple hair. She controlled a black pokemon that resembled an Eevee, only bigger and with a less bushy tail. Yellow rings decorated its body, and its had fearsome bright crimson irises. I learned that that pokemon was an Umbreon, and it could evolve with either a Moon Stone or at night if it loved its trainer enough. The fourth girl had short, straight, dark red hair. She was the master of a Flareon. The youngest, which was even younger than me, had an Eevee. I did not stay to watch one of their shows; instead, I went on to see some of the other sights.

I was busy wandering around the city, wondering exactly where I should go. I glanced down at the guidebook and began reading it. "I'm just the person your looking for!" I shrieked and jumped back, looking up at a chubby man that was dressed like a clown. I was afraid of clowns, even when I was a little girl.

"W-what do you want?" I asked.

He smiled, "I can see that you're a tourist, no?"

"Pokemon trainer, actually." I corrected.

He chuckled, "Of course, of course. Well, just to let you in on a little secret, I can sell you this _amazing _machine that can find buried _treasure_!"

"No thank-you." I groaned as I walked away from him.

He ran after me, "B-but, you can get rich off of this thing."

I jerked around and glared at him, "Do I look stupid to you?" He did not respond to that, "I'm not dumb enough to get swindled, 'kay? So back off and look for an idiot to con, m'kay?"

"These kids are gett'in smarter everyday." The guy mumbled as I walked away. My search around the city soon came to an end when I found a giant wooden tower that looked like it had burst into flames years ago. I was surprised that it was still standing. I shrugged and entered, curious to see what was inside. The floor creaked with each step, making me feel a little nervous. I continued moving throughout the building, determined to get a good look before bailing out. I stopped when I found an interesting picture. There was burned, yet elegantly carved image of some kind of bird. I checked my pokédex. _Ho-Oh, a fire/flying type. Its behavior is unknown. It is said that it once lived in the Brass Tower until it was burned thousands of years ago. A Tin Tower was built as replacement, but it has not returned since. Yes. That's a picture of Ho-Oh alright. _I looked around and smiled. _This place is historical. I wish I could draw a picture of a real Ho-Oh. _

"Well, well," a familiar voice said. I turned and found the redhead boy from before. It was Silver, "Your that bitch that kicked my ass a month ago. How 'ya been doing? Are you entering the little Silver Conference?"

"Yeah. Decided to turn yourself in?" I asked in a defensive tone.

Silver chuckled, "Hell no. Why don't you make me?"

"Because you can only do that for yourself. You won't learn anything if I force you," I said, "Taking responsibility for your own actions is an important part of growing up."

He looked at me with a bored expression, "And I would care why…?"

"You're an immature brat," I muttered, "Pokemon are just tools to you, aren't they?"

Silver gasped, "Your not one of those stupid people who think pokemon have real emotions and shit, are you?" He threw his head back and bellowed with laughter, "That's a riot! Pokemon are too stupid to know what an emotion is!"

"Take that back! You need to show compassion for pokemon! They _do _have emotions. Some of my best friends are pokemon." I spat.

He smirked, "Oh, am I hurting your feelings? I'm _so _sorry," a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes, "You want compassion? I'll show you compassion!" He fished in his pocket for a pokeball and called out a Haunter.

I grabbed a pokeball at my hip and called out Misdreavus, "Ghost vs. ghost/poison. Bring it on!" I said confidently.

"Night Shade!" Silver ordered. Red and black lightning shot from Haunter's eyes. It struck Misdreavus, knocking her back slightly.

"Shadow Ball!" The black ball hit Haunter, injuring it.

"Sucker Punch!" Its fist flew forward and decked Misdreavus.

"Payback!" She flew forward and began to beat Haunter.

"Night Shade!"

"Shadow Ball!"

Both of the attacks hit at the same time and knocked both pokemon unconscious. They were equally matched. I hugged Misdreavus close to me, "You did a good job, girl." I recalled her into her pokeball.

"Stupid piece of shit!" Silver spat venomously as he recalled his injured Haunter. He threw another pokeball into the air. A Zubat appeared.

I quickly called out Scyther, "Use your Fury Cutter attack!" He flew forward and sliced at Zubat with his claws.

"Tackle attack!" The blue bat was unable to deal very much damage to Scyther with its attack, "Stupid little…Wing Attack!" Its wings began to glow as it sliced at Scyther's side.

"Quick Attack!" Scyther teleported behind Zubat and tackled it, causing it to slam into the floor, "Now use a Cut attack!" His claws sliced at Zubat once more.

"Confuse Ray, dammit!" Silver hissed. The attack that hit Scyther was enough to completely confuse him; he was unable to battle. I quickly recalled Scyther and then summoned Houndour.

"Flamethrower!" That was all it took to finish off Zubat.

"Dammit!" Silver recalled Zubat and then summoned a Magnemite. "Thunder Shock!" Golden lightning struck Houndour.

"Use another Flamethrower!" I called. Fire engulfed the Magnemite, but it did not take too much effect.

"Discharge!" That powerful lightning attack was all it took to knock Houndour unconscious.

I quickly recalled my pokemon and then sent out Quilava. The boy smirked as he recalled Magnemite and then called out his starter. It was no longer a Totodile. It was a bigger, teal croc with designs on its body like a crème-yellow toga. It had vicious crimson spikes on its head and back, and sharp, angry red eyes. _Crocnaw, the water-type. They are more aggressive then their pre-evolution. They live mostly near water. _"Prepare to get your stupid ass woopt, bitch!" Silver hissed, "Crocnaw, use Crunch!"

Crocnaw leapt at Quilava, but the latter dodged the attack, "Quick Attack!" I ordered. He teleported behind Crocnaw and knocked it against the wall.

"Water Gun!" Silver cried.

Cool liquid blasted Quilava. Silver began repeating the attack constantly and without mercy. He even through in a Thrash attack. A scream filled the Brass Tower. I ran to my fallen pokemon and embraced him; tears streaked my cheeks. "That's enough! Stop!" I sobbed, "No more!"

He chuckled, "There! Now your on your knees, where you should be, bitch!" Silver walked up to me and grabbed my hair, and then jerked up, "I'm gonna make you regret ever-OW!!!" Quilava leapt up and bit his arm. He punched him and me and the same time, "Bastard! Useless little shit! I'll kick both your assess myself!"

"Tackle!"

Silver cried out in both surprise and pain as he was knocked forward; he slammed into a wall and fell onto his rear as a result. The redhead jerked around to glare at who attacked him. My eyes moved up, and I was surprised to see an Umbreon. Behind the Umbreon was Gary Oak, "Gary!" I sobbed.

Gary was glaring at Silver as if he wanted to rip him in half with his bare hands, "Get. Out. _Now_!" Silver looked to his Crocnaw, but it was unconscious. He cursed as he recalled it.

"This isn't the last time you'll see me, bitch!" He said before fleeing up the stairs.

Gary shook his head and walked towards me; he knelt down in front of me, "Are you OK, Bella?"

"Gary…" tears fell from my eyes as I embraced him. He was caught off guard at first, but then he accepted my embrace, and returned the favor.

"It's OK Bella. He won't hurt you anymore," He whispered softly. He grabbed my pokeball and recalled my injured Quilava, then helped me to my feet. Gary led me out of the Brass Tower and to the Pokemon Center. There, Nurse Joy went ahead and recovered my pokemon. Gary set me down at a table and gazed down at me, "What happened back there?"

I sighed, after calming down, "I met that guy a month ago. He stole a Totodile, and I confronted him about it. We battled, and I beat him. He met me in the Brass Tower and decided to fight me again. Obviously, I lost this time."

"No kidding," he muttered, "Not too friendly, is he?"

I glared at him, "No duh, Sherlock."

"Well it doesn't matter because _I _am going to escort you through Johto." Gary said as he rose to his feet.

"W-what!?" I gaped.

He nodded, "That's right. I'm going to protect you from now on. You're still Team Rocket's number one most wanted, and now you got this guy after you. You're a magnet for trouble; a body guard is what you need. Your in the Silver Conference, right? I already have my fourth badge, so let's go ahead and get yours."

I blinked, trying to absorb his sentences, "Uh…but I…"

"I won't take 'no' for an answer," Gary grinned. He reached down and patted my hand, "I'm not doing this because I think I'm better than you, I'm doing this because I care."

I blushed, "O-oh…well…I guess traveling with someone won't be too bad," I rose from the table and went to retrieve my pokemon from Nurse Joy. I returned to Gary and Umbreon afterwards, "Well, lead the way _Mr. Protector_."

"Very funny." Gary said as he lead Umbreon and I into the city…

**End of this chapter. Now Gary is going to be seen more often seeing as he's traveling with Bella now. I already had this chapter written a long time ago, but I forgot to post it. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	36. Chapter 36

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing. And yes, I plan to update sooner this time. This chapter is extremely short, seeing as it focuses on Bella's gym battle with Morty. Oh, and I forgot to answer this question. Bella left Larvitar with Professor Oak before she went to Johto. So, here's the next chapter… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 35: Haunted **

"_Memory is the mother of all wisdom._"

-Aeschylus

He led us through the city and to a very normal looking Gym. It was just a grey, two-story building with glass double-doors. The Gyms in Johto were not very eccentric. He opened the doors for me, allowing me inside. The arena floor inside of the Gym was made mostly of wood.

"Hello!" I called, "Is the Gym Leader here?"

Someone appeared from the upstairs floor. A seventeen-year-old man was standing there. He had short, golden blonde hair and wore a bright blue headband. He wore two black necklaces, and a baggy, longs-sleeved, bright blue shirt with yellow designs. Bleu jeans covered his legs, while yellow and blue sneakers covered his feet. "I am Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City. You called?"

"Yes. I'm here to challenge you." I stated.

Morty nodded, "Fine by me," he went to the other side of the Gym, "Two pokemon each. Understand?"

"Fine." I said as I called out Houndour. The ebony colored pooch howled upon being released, prepared for anything.

A lazy smile graced Morty's features as he reached into his pocket, pulling a white and red pokeball into the open. He tossed it, allowing his first choice to emerge into the opening. It was a Gastly.

_So he's focusing on ghost pokemon? Crap. I should've asked Professor Oak to send Espeon to me. Too late now. _"Houndour, Flamethrower!"

I watched as the canine's jaw fell slack, allowing fiery orange flames to spew forth.

"Gastly, evade and use Night Shade!" The ebony colored sphere coated in purple mist narrowly avoided the flames. Its irises began to shine a bright crimson. Black lightning coated in red shot forward, hitting Houndour.

"Fire Fang!"

My Dark-Fire-type rushed forward, flames slowly appearing inside of his mouth. He caught Gastly, puncturing it and burning with his fangs.

"Hypnosis!"

The room began to ripple after being given the command. Houndour stumbled around, confused by Gastly's attack.

"Shake it off!"

"Bella, look out! He's coming back!" Gary shouted from behind me.

I glared at him, "I know!"

"Gastly, use Dark Pulse!"

"EVADE!" Gary and I shouted in unison. I paused to stare at him, then shook my head. Unfortunately, the dark rings Gastly created engulfed Houndour, wounding him. "I told you tell him to evade!"

I turned and snapped at him, "I know! But that's kind of hard to do when your confused, now isn't it?"

I turned my attention away from Gary and back to the matter at hand.

"C'mon buddy, shake it off!" Encouragement usually worked. And it did. Houndour shook off his wounds and confusion, growling furiously at Gastly and Morty.

"Good boy! Now use Faint Attack!" Houndour closed his eyes, and slowly his body became translucent before he disappeared completely.

Morty and Gastly glanced back and forth, and then the trainer decided to give his orders, "Listen for it carefully." The ghost-type nodded to its master.

The duo both closed their eyes, listening carefully for my pokemon. Complete silence. Umbreon was lying beside Gary's feet, eyes closed and breathing soft. It was taking a nap. Said trainer was standing beside his pokemon, waiting anxiously for something to happen. I patiently awaited Houndour's assault, wondering when he would make his move.

"Over there, Nightshade!"

The black and crimson colored lightning shot from Gastly's eyes, hitting the ground. Dust kicked up from that spot, but there was no yelp of pain.

"Nightshade, there!"

Gastly turned to the right and unleashed its attack. Once again, it completely missed the target.

This time, Houndour struck the ghost-type. He bit it in the back, causing Gastly to cry out in pain.

"Hypnosis, now!" Morty ordered. Gastly jerked around and unleashed the attack, causing the entire room to ripple like water. My canine fell to the ground, snoring loudly. He was asleep, "Now finish with Dream Eater!"

"Houndour, wake up!" But I was too late. Gastly's eyes glued to the sleeping pokemon. Multiple different colors flashed in its eyes before Houndour cried out in pain. He did not regain consciousness. I sighed in disappointment and recalled Houndour. _Okay, my next pokemon will be… _I tossed the next pokeball, allowing Misdreavus to hover before me.

"A ghost-type?" Morty asked, slightly surprised by my choice. His face returned to the lazy expression he usually wore a second later, "That will make this a challenge for Gastly and me, and for you and Misdreavus, of course."

"Now, Gastly, use Nightshade!"

"Evade and counter with Pain Split!" Misdreavus obeyed me perfectly, swaying back and forth to gracefully avoid the darkened lightning.

Her eyes began to glow, and suddenly, Gastly literally split in half. It was for a second, and then it returned to its original form. The pokemon roared with pain, violently shaking.

"Good, now use Psybeam!"

Multicolored beams of light flew from her eyes and hit the Gastly, causing it fly back and forth in a daze. Morty sighed, and recalled his baffled pokemon. "The winner of round two." He said as he prepared another pokeball.

The next pokemon he called on was the evolved form of Gastly. Haunter looks differ greatly from its first form. Its body is purple, and mist does not cloak it. Mischievous, black irises gazed at Misdreavus. Hands float near its head; it is without a body or legs and arms, so the hands are not attached to anything. Sharp fangs adorn the inside of its mouth.

"Shadow Punch!"

Its clawed hand flew at Misdreavus, who evaded it and then performed Payback. She appeared behind its back, using a powerful tackle to knock it off balance.

"Lick!"

Haunter jerked around and did just as its trainer ordered. It licked Misdreavus across the face, causing her to glare at it in disgust.

"Now, Nightshade!"

Lick was used to confuse opponents. I was not going to let Misdreavus focus on Haunter's earlier attack, "Dodge and use Pain Split!"

She hovered to the left, and then just like before, Haunter split in half then morphed into its original form.

"Shadow Ball!"

The black ball hit Misdreavus before she could move, knocking her back several paces.

"Sucker Punch!"

The air rippled around Haunter as it was shoved back, "Nightshade!" The ebony colored lightning zipped towards Misdreavus.

"Shadow Ball!" I ordered before it could hit her. The black sphere absorbed the attack, and then grew in size. Misdreavus grinned maliciously as she sent it Haunter's way.

"Evade, evade!" Morty cried.

The ball hit before the pokemon could move. Haunter shook, looking completely exhausted after that attack.

Morty's eyes glinted as he gave the next order, "Combine Shadow Ball and Nightshade, then thrust it at Misdreavus!"

Haunter cackled as it did as it was told, creating a giant black sphere enshrouded in crimson sparks. It tossed the ball at Misdreavus, who moved before it could hit.

"Shadow Punch!"

Haunter's claw appeared behind her before Misdreavus could move. It slashed at her back, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Now Dark Pulse!"

"Dodge it!"

Once again, Haunter was too fast for her. Shadow enshrouded rings hit Misdreavus, sending her flying across the room.

"Now, use…" the blonde began.

"Shadow Ball!"

A smile spread across her face as Misdreavus conjured another darkened sphere and launched it at Haunter. "Counter with your own Shadow Ball!" Morty ordered.

Both ebony colored spheres collided at the same time after being conjured by the ghost-types. They fused into one ball; crimson sparks encircled it. Morty and I covered ours heads as the ball detonated, creating a dark explosion in the gym. When we opened our eyes, we found both pokemon lying on the floor, unconscious.

I smiled softly at her, "Nice try, Misdreavus." And then recalled her to her pokeball. I placed it on my belt and grabbed the next. _Hope your ready buddy. _

I tossed the pokeball into the air, allowing Quilava to freely roam about.

Instead of yanking a pokeball out of his pocket, Morty placed a pair of fingers in his mouth. A loud whistle echoed off of the walls, causing my ears to throb. I covered my ears, trying to ease the pain. Gary glanced around the room, as if waiting for something. He knew what was about to come.

I watched as a pokemon materialized from the floor. It was a Gengar, the evolved form of Gastly and Haunter. Mischievous crimson eyes gazed at me. Its never-ending smile grew wider as it gazed at me, and then it flashed a thumbs up at me. I stared at it, a little confused. And then realization dawned.

I pointed at it, surprised to even see it again, "I-its _you!_" This was the same Gengar from the haunted tower in Lavender Town.

"Hm?" Morty turned his gaze to the ghost-type, curious, "You already know her?" Gengar nodded and then locked eyes with Quilava.

"I met this Gengar in Lavender Town a while back," I decided to explain my meeting with it, "I was there trying to get a ghost-type to fight Sabrina. I tried to catch your Gengar, sorry by the way, but that didn't work out to well. And then I ran into some trouble, and your Gengar helped me. Now I have a question for you. Why was your Gengar in Kanto?"

"I was on a trip to the tower in Lavender Town. I received a call, saying that the ghost pokemon were displaying strange behavior, so I was investigating." He explained in a monotone voice.

_Well that explains it. _"So, I'm sure you're aware of Gengar's power?"

"Yeah, I am," It was a powerful pokemon the last time I met it, and I doubt that its strength has decreased since then. "But I won't back down now! Quilava…wait," I paused, taking a moment to stare at Gengar, "can I exchange my pokemon for a different one? Before the battle starts?"

Morty's eyebrow arched, "Why?"

"Because in the tower, my Espeon fought alongside Gengar. I think it would be fitting for the two to meet again." I expected him to stick to the rules, and say 'no'.

But instead, he nodded, "Alright. I'll give you five minutes. Hurry."

"Right!" I recalled Quilava and then sprinted out of the Gym. Gary and Umbreon stayed, deciding to wait for me to return. My legs carried me through Ecruteak City, in search of the Pokemon Center. I rushed inside after I found the building, and ran to the phones immediately. I dialed Professor Oak's number, my foot tapping impatiently as I waited for him to answer.

The old man's face appeared on the screen a second later. He appeared to be in his lab, as usual. "_Good afternoon, Bella. How've you been?_"

"Great," I said quickly, "Sorry to be in a hurry, but I need you to send Espeon to me immediately!"

He blinked, surprised by my request, "_Oh, alright. Would you like Larvitar as well?_" I paused, allowing my mind to wander. Honestly, I missed my little baby. And I'm sure Larvitar would be happy to see Gary again, too.

"Why not?" I replied after a second.

A smile spread across the old man's face, "_They're on their way._" He rose to his feet and disappeared from the screen. I could hear him say something in the background, and then there was a cry of excitement from two beings. I ran to the machine beside the phones. It was a transporter, allowing trainers to send pokemon from one place to another quickly. I waited patiently as the white sparks flew, allowing a familiar pokeball to appear. I picked it up, seeing the kanji for 'mind' on it. _Espeon. _I placed the ball on my belt and then grabbed the next one. It had the kanji for 'earth'. Once the ball was attached to my waist, I returned to the phone.

"Thanks, Professor. See'ya."

He returned just in time to say farewell, "_Your welcome. And good luck in the Silver Conference._"

"Thanks." I hung the phone up, and then sprinted out of the center as fast as I could. My legs carried my body through the city, as if my life depended on it. I burst inside of the Gym after I arrived, sliding to a complete stop directly behind Gary and Umbreon.

"Just in time." Morty was standing beside Gengar, a stopwatch in one hand.

I raised my hand, breathing heavily, "Back…" after taking another breath, I pulled my pokeball off the belt and tossed it into the air. A second later, a lavender colored pokemon tackled me to the ground. Espeon happily licked my cheek, her tail wagging as she did so.

"Hey there," I laughed, stroking her lavender colored fur, "Been a while, huh?" Espeon climbed off of me, allowing me to stand, "You remember Gengar, right?"

She looked at him, and then nodded to me. "Well, turns out it has a trainer. Sorry that your first fight has to be a Gym battle." She purred in delight as I stroked her back, and then turned a hard gaze on the ghost-type. Espeon was ready for anything.

A small smile graced his lips, his arms over his chest. "Ready?" Morty asked, patiently waiting for us.

Both Espeon and I bobbed ours head in agreement.

"Alright…Gengar, Nightshade!"

"Espeon, Swift!"

The lavender colored pokemon leapt to the side and unleashed a flurry of golden light resembling stars. Gengar melted into the floor, dodging the attack and then returned to the ground floor.

"Shadow Punch!"

"Psychic!"

A multicolored beam shot forth from Espeon's forehead, hitting Gengar. The pokemon cackled as it vanished, and then appeared behind my pokemon.

"Mo-…" too late. The attack sent Espeon flying across the room. _Damn, it's strong! _"Use Future Sight!" Espeon's eyes shown, and then returned to their normal black. Nothing happened.

Morty seemed to be troubled. He knew what was coming, but he had no idea how to counterattack it. "Go ahead and use Shadow Ball."

"Evade!" Espeon tried to move, but the ball collided with her, knocking her against the wall.

"Nightshade!"

"Evade!"

My psychic-type dodged the attack by leaping over Gengar, and landing only a few feet away.

"Hypnosis!"

"Don't look at its eyes!"

I figured out that if one looks away, Hypnosis can be avoided. Espeon did as she was told, and turned her attention to Umbreon across the room. "Dark Impulse!"

The attack hit, knocking Espeon off balance slightly.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as Espeon's earlier assault came to the rescue. A golden and blue light appeared from thin air and blasted Gengar out of one of the windows and to the outside. Future Sight was a special attack. When casted, a certain amount of time must pass until it activates. The psychic-type that casts it cannot use any other attacks until Future Sight has passed. In a way, the pokemon was predicting an attack, and then it would happen when that pokemon saw it in the future. Weird, I know. But that's how it works. Gary was familiar with the attack, seeing as he possessed a psychic-type. Morty knew about because he's an experienced gym leader and he has probably seen quite a bit of psychic-types in his lifetime.

Gengar materialized in front of us, a wide grin still plastered on its face. Bruises and cuts adorned the pokemon's body; there was a deep gash on its forehead, allowing blood to spill forth.

"Obviously, you and your Espeon work very well together," the blonde gym leader's voice was calm, "I hope that you continue to put up a good fight. Nightshade!"

"Psychic!"

The lightning struck Espeon, but her attack hit Gengar as well.

"Shadow Punch!"

"Quick Attack!"

"Shadow Ball!"

"Evade, Swift!"

"Endure! Hypnosis!"

"Look away, Quick Attack!"

"Endure, Payback!"

By the time we finished calling out orders, both Espeon and Gengar were trying to catch their breaths. The battle was nearly over, and I needed to finish it quickly.

_Okay, I'll use this. _"Last Resort!"

"Combine Shadow Punch with Nightshade!"

Espeon cried out as her body slowly began to shine a pure white-blue. She transformed into a large, fearsome beast with long fangs and claws. Gengar's clawed paw began to glow black with crimson electricity surrounding it. The pokemon rushed forehead, colliding like Misdreavus and Haunter had before. A white ball with blue and red sparks engulfed the pokemon, and the detonated. I covered my face, protecting my eyes from the blinding light.

Wind flew around us, and sparks cut my arms and legs. I winced as blood dripped from one nasty cut on my cheek. _Damn that's strong. _

Slowly, the wind and light died down, allowing us to see the result.

Gengar trembled as it stood in the middle, fighting to remain conscious. There was a deep gash on its side, and fresh cuts adorned its body. Espeon was lying on the ground, shaking. She was adorned in bruises and cuts, and was completely exhausted.

"Espeon!" I sprinted to her, crouching beside my pokemon. I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her close to me, "Are you okay?" The lavender colored pokemon nodded and lifted her head to lick my cheek.

Morty closed the distance between himself and his strongest pokemon, patting Gengar on the head once he was close enough.

"That was a good show," he said, reaching into his pocket, "You may have not defeated me, however, you have still earned this." His palm opened as he held it out to me.

In his palm, I could see a small metal badge. It resembled a navy blue ghost.

"Your performance was spectacular, and you hold a powerful bond with all of your pokemon. With this, you will be one step closer to the Silver Conference."

I took the Fog Badge, smiling as I did so, "Thanks, Morty."

"There is no need to thank me. I did nothing to help you; you have only yourself and your pokemon to thank."

He had a point. So, I gave Espeon my thanks, and hugged her close to me. I missed all of my old pokemon, but was still happy that I was given a chance to meet my new ones. I planned to keep Espeon and Larvitar for the rest of the trip. I recalled Espeon into her pokeball, and then rose to my feet.

"Good fight," Morty and I shook hands, while Gengar gave me a thumbs up. "Hope to see you guys again."

The blonde nodded, "As do I."

I walked to the doors, where Gary and Umbreon were waiting for me.

"Ready?" the brunette asked.

"Yup." He held the door open for the dark-type and me, and then followed us to the outside…

**As I said many chapters ago, Gengar would be returning. I didn't plan on it being Morty's Gengar; I made that decision right before I wrote this chapter. I can't remember whether this is longest gym battle Bella has had or not. I think it is. Oh well. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	37. Chapter 37

**Thank-you for reviewing. Yes, Gary and Bella are traveling together now. And yes Bella still has the egg from that chapter. But its not going to hatch before the end of the story. The reason behind this will be explained in the sequel. This chapter is going to be pretty long, and it's actually crucial that Bella meets a certain pokemon. The reason behind her meeting this pokemon will be revealed later. So, here is the next chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 36: Time **

"_Men talk of killing time,_

_while time quietly kills them._"

-Dion Boucicault

After my battle with Morty, Gary, Umbreon, and I ran through the city and straight to the Pokemon Center. There, I handed Nurse Joy all six of my pokemon. Gary went ahead and began setting up our rooms. While setting up our rooms, Nurse Joy cleaned and dressed my wounds. I was busy just glancing around the lobby, until I heard part of his sentence.

"…yeah, just one room-OW!"

Joy shrieked and jumped away, looking down at the brunette with surprise. I had grabbed the back of his head and smacked his face against the desk, glaring fiercely at him.

"_Excuse _me? Perv!" As I was going to share a room with him, "Why is it we only have _one _room?"

"Nee kuz new rwooms coss stu mooch!" His voice was muffled by the desk, so I yanked his head up so he could speak properly, "Ow, watch the hair!"

"Why are we sharing a room?" I asked again.

His eyebrows narrowed, "Because two rooms cost too much, I just said-THA OUCH!" I slammed his face against the desk again.

He was right. Money doesn't grow on trees, so staying at the Pokemon Center wasn't free, either. Healthcare was, but spending the night was another matter. I sighed, shaking my head at the situation. "Alright, but your sleeping on the floor."

He shoved my hand away, "And I get the blanket."

"No, I get the blanket!" I snapped back.

"But you've got the bed!"

"So? I'm the lady, so I get the blanket."

He smirked, "Are you sure you're a lady?" My eyebrow twitched and whacked him upside the head again. Gary chuckled and turned to Nurse Joy, who was shaking her head at us.

Joy handed me the key, and then the two of us ascended the stairs and headed to the right door on the right. The bedroom was same as the others, with there being only one bed. I dropped my stuff on the ground, paused to grab my pajamas and then headed to the bathroom. There, I locked the door and stripped my clothes off. I slid a white tank-top and baggy blue pants with yellow lilies adorning them. I took my hair down, allowing my blonde hair to cascade down my back. I had to leave my bra on, seeing as Gary was there.

Once I changed, I left the bathroom, allowing Gary to take my place. A few seconds later, he returned. He was wearing nothing by a black baggy t-shirt and grey, knee-length boxers.

I sat on the bed and wrapped the covers around me. I allowed myself to drop onto the pillow, sighing. _So tired, huh? _I felt something yank at the covers. I glanced over my shoulder, finding Gary standing over me.

"Blankets mine." He growled.

I glared at him, "Snooze 'ya lose." I pulled it back, and then turned away.

"Fine!" And then silence. I closed my eyes, and pressed my face against the pillow. _Now maybe I can…what now? _Something yanked the covers up, and then the bed started moving downwards. It moved upwards again, but only slightly.

I flipped over, coming face to face with Gary, who was making himself comfortable.

My eyebrow twitched in irritation, "Okay, either you get out or I push you out. Your choice." I groaned flatly.

"I want a blanket," he said as he covered himself and fully turned towards me, "And since you won't give it to me, then I guess we'll just share the bed."

"Do you know how inappropriate this is?" I would have followed through with my threat to shove him off of the bed, but I was too tired to move. I pulled an all-nighter coming to Ecruteak City, was beaten stupid by that creep Silver, and then was injured in the battle with Morty. I sighed and closed my eyes, deciding that arguing with him wasn't going to work.

I was just about to doze off when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I opened my eyes, and glared at Gary, "Are you a masochist? 'Cause I'm getting the feeling that you want me to hit you."

"I need a throw pillow when I slip." I could see the amusement in his eyes. _Jackass. _I closed my eyes, and without even realizing it, snuggled against Gary's chest. A sigh escaped my lips as I dozed off…

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Morning arrived quickly. I awoke the next morning, finding that Gary already left. I climbed out of bed and rummaged around in my pack before heading to the bathroom. After taking a shower, I changed into a new pair of clothes. I slid a pair of blue jeans onto my legs, and then a black a tank-top. Silver bracelets jingled around my wrists, and black sneakers acted as my footwear. I slid a brown belt around my waist, rid myself of the bed head with a brush that was in my pack, cleaned my teeth, and then grabbed my pack as I ran downstairs.

Gary was in the lobby, wearing his usual attire. He was sitting on the couch, tossing Larvitar up and down.

I received my other pokemon from Nurse Joy before joining my companion and baby. Larvitar looked at me, and then tore himself from Gary's hands and sat on my lap. He nuzzled my stomach, chirping merrily.

"Have a good sleep last night?" An arrogant smirk played at his lips as he spoke.

I narrowed my eyes at Gary, "No. You smell funny."

He gawked, "N-no I don't! My cologne is…" he stopped, and looked away, blushing furiously.

Actually, he smelled really good. But I was not about to admit that.

I rose to my feet with Larvitar in my arms, and headed to the door, "C'mon, we need to get going." Gary followed me to the door, Umbreon right behind him.

We left the Pokemon Center and headed straight to the Pokemart. We were going to need some supplies before we left for Olivine City. We bought some medicine for the pokemon, food, pokeballs, and then some food for us as well. After arguing over everything and then actually paying for it, the two of us left Ecruteak City.

The sun was shining brightly as we made our way to the next route. Shortly after coming to the route, we ran into a fork in the road. Gary and I ended arguing for about thirty minutes before Larvitar head butted the brunette towards the right, growling at both of us. We chose to go to the right. Bad decision. We ran into an entire horde of powerful trainers almost. Gary fought one while I fought the other, our pokemon giving it their all. Larvitar was stronger then before. He handled each enemy he fought like a pro. Having Espeon again was a relief, seeing as I was battling with an old friend. Gary's Umbreon would be a perfect match for my Espeon. Turns out, it was male, and it was extremely powerful. It would be interesting to see the two of them go toe-to-toe in battle.

We managed to find a Pokemon Center before heading to the next route.

The next route was like the first. It was full of strong pokemon and trainers alike. Gary and I managed to give ourselves and our pokemon a workout shortly after going to the center.

Hours passed before we found a small city. Old architecture surrounded us, with canals going through the cobblestone streets. The two of us decided that we were lost after wandering in circles for nearly forty minutes. We got directions to the Pokemon Center, and headed there immediately. There, we allowed Nurse Joy to take care of our pokemon while we had dinner.

Unlike Ash, Gary ate a modest amount. I just had a plate of spaghetti while he ate a steak. Ash would have eaten half of the food on the menu. I knew this from the last time I ate with them, which was shortly before my meeting with that imaginary Entei and the real Unown. I vaguely wondered how Molly and her father were doing.

After dinner, Larvitar followed Gary and I as we headed to the room we rented. Once again, I was forced to share a bed with the Neanderthal. At least Larvitar was there to monitor him this time. Charizard would have laughed at me for being embarrassed about staying in the same room as Gary. I just didn't understand why he wouldn't help me when it came to this moron…

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When morning arrived, Gary and I ate breakfast at the Pokemon Center, and then headed to the nearest Pokemart. We needed to rent a boat to get to the next port, and then we could head along the route that would bring us Olivine City.

After purchasing the needed provisions, the four of us, Gary, Larvitar, Umbreon, and I all began making our way to the dock. Luckily for us, Gary thought to buy our tickets before we went to the Pokemon Center yesterday.

On the way there, we ran into a familiar yet unexpected person in the town square.

"Hm?" Gary stopped, his eyes locked onto a certain someone. "Ashy-boy?"

Upon hearing his pet name, Ash Ketchum turned to face us. Beside him stood his Pikachu. The yellow rodent happily scurried up to me, allowing me to hug it.

"Pika, pika!" it purred as I scratched its belly.

"Hey there Pikachu," My lips curled into a smile. I felt something tug at my jeans, and looked down. A saddened Larvitar was looking at me with puppy eyes. I set Pikachu down and embraced the ground-type, "Oh, your still my baby, Larvitar."

"Lar!" he nuzzled my collarbone like an infant would its mother.

While I was stroking Larvitar's rough head, Gary spoke with Ash, "So what're you doing here?"

"Having a battle, what's it look like?" the raven-haired boy replied. Pikachu returned to his side, sparks flying from its cheeks.

His attention was on the brown-haired teen standing across from him, "Name's Danny, the strongest train in the whole town." He had a strange accent, and was extremely cocky.

_Its because of that that Gary was beaten in the Indigo League. Probably won't do very much for this kid, too. _I thought as Ash challenged him to a battle. The brunette called on a Croconaw, while Ash used Pikachu. Good choice. Pikachu started with Agility, running far too fast for any of us to see it. Then it used Tackle, but Croconaw counterattacked with Headbutt. It used Water Gun to weaken Pikachu, who was hit by the first one but dodged the next two assaults. They charged at each other. Croconaw used Slash, but Pikachu leapt onto the fountain to escape the attack. It leapt onto Croconaw's head and prepared an electric attack, but was thrown off and instead landed on a light-pole. The lights began flicker on and off around us as a result. Croconaw tried another Water Gun, but missed when Pikachu dodged the attack.

They began exchanging random blows, with Croconaw trying Crunch only to have Pikachu land on its snout and slam its jaw against the cobblestone growled. The water-type cried out as it accidentally bit its own tongue, drawing a little blood.

Pikachu used a powerful Headbutt that sent the evolved pokemon flying and landing on its trainer. Croconaw leapt off and lunged at Pikachu, only to be hit with a Thunder Bolt. The water-type fell to the ground, too tired to continue on.

"Woo! We did it!" Ash was hopping up and down, cheering his pokemon on. He paused when a Golbat started circling him. "Huh? Crap! C'mon Pikachu!"

Both Gary and I were confused until we heard a whistle. "Crap!" We cried out simultaneously. We ran to the ledge leading to at least five long, stone stairways. There was the river, with the boat preparing to leave. We would never make it. Gary groaned as he reached into his pack and tossed a pokeball into the air. Arcanine appeared, howling to announce its presence.

"Get on!" the brunette said as he mounted his furry steed. I jumped on with Larvitar in my arms. The pokemon snuggled against me while I wrapped my arms around Gary's waist. Umbreon began leaping off of rooftops, heading straight for the boat. "Go!" The large canine took off at full speed, leaping from building to build as it moved along.

Wind whipped around us as Arcanine flew to the bottom, stopping as Gary instructed. Arcanine couldn't get on the boat, so he recalled his pokemon and sprinted towards it. I would have joined him, but both Ash and I were trapped behind a truck. We both ran in place until it moved, finding that the boat was moving. "CRAP!!!" We shouted in unison, sprinting to the dock as if our very lives depended on it.

Without thinking, I followed Ash as he jumped off of the dock, flying towards the boat. Larvitar leapt from my arms and landed in Gary's arms. He placed the pokemon on the floor of the boat and then held his arms out for me, "Bella!"

I reached for him, while Ash reached for Brock. Unfortunately, our timing was off and we both missed our intended targets. I feared that I was going to hit the water had something not tugged on my belt as hard possible. I felt a pair of arms wrap around me while a third helped haul me over the side of the boat and onto the wooden floor. Whoever aided him was stronger than Gary, and I was surprised when they let go, causing Gary and I to stumble backwards.

I landed on my back, my head smacking against the floor while Gary landed in an awkward position above me.

I shook my head, trying to get over the fact that I was dizzy.

Once I regained myself, I met Gary's coal-black gaze, "Uh…thanks…can you get up now?"

"Why?" A smirk played on his lips, "I'm not complaining."

"_Get off!_" My face was several shades of crimson. Gary chuckled as he rose to his feet, and gave me a hand in standing up.

I looked at Ash, finding Brock, Misty, and Pikachu with them. There was a third man I didn't know. Larvitar begged for me to hold him, which I complied easily. Brock was starring at Gary and me, grinning like a dork. Misty was gaping in surprise, and Ash looked confused.

"What?" I asked, trying to ignore the reason why they were starring at us. Brock just chuckled, with Misty snickering. Ash still looked clueless. Umbreon appeared behind Gary, who stroked his furry head.

I turned my attention back to the new male. He was in his early twenties. His skin was deeply tanned, and his short spiky hair was colored black. Dark brown irises gazed at us. He wore white gloves, a black t-shirt and a short-sleeved jacket that was left unbuttoned. He wore khaki, knee-length shorts and brown, short boots with black socks underneath. A long, black necklace with golden spheres on it hung around his neck.

"Thanks for helping me, Mr…er…?" I looked at him, waiting for a name.

"Name's Takashi White." He replied.

I smiled, and gave him a short bow, "Thank-you for helping me, Mr. White."

He chuckled, "Uh, don't call me mister. Your making me feel old."

A groan sounded behind me. I looked at Gary, who appeared to be annoyed. I rolled my eyes, "And thank-you too, Gary."

"Whatever." He leaned over the edge, gazing at the clear water below.

Mr. White leaned against the side, "So, you guys are pokemon trainers?"

"Yeah." Ash replied enthusiastically.

"Well, where I'm from, we see all kinds of weird pokemon. I'll take you there if you want."

"Really? Awesome!" He just couldn't wait to catch more pokemon.

Gary and I were already planning to head to Olivine City, so was I about to decline his offer when I saw something interesting. In the mist deep within the forests that surrounded us was a strange looking creature. It was blue with long, flowing purple hair. It was a pokemon.

"Is that what I think it is!?" I gasped out loud, squinting in a desperate attempt to see it. The others followed my gaze.

"Hey, is that a pokemon?" Ash asked quietly as it ran off.

Mr. White shrugged, "Looked like one to me."

_If that's what I think it is… _"That's it we're staying!" I announced, my eyes set with determination.

"Huh?" Gary turned to me, "But Bella…"

"No excuses! If that's the pokemon I think it is, then we're staying until I sketch it!" I left not a single space for argument.

Gary sighed, and turned his attention back to the forest. "What pokemon is it?" asked Brock.

"I can't say for sure…I'll call Professor Oak when we reach port." I needed to confirm my suspicions first.

With that being said, we waited for the boat to arrive at a town similar to the one we just left. Near the port, they had telephone booths. I ran to the nearest booth and dialed Professor Oak's number. Gary, Brock, Ash, and Misty huddled around me while Umbreon, Pikachu, Larvitar, and Togepi played together in the background.

Professor Oak appeared on the screen, and jumped when he saw several pairs of familiar eyes starring at him.

"_Oh, hey there kids…how did you group so quickly?_" The old man asked, looking a tad confused. He probably thought I was alone yesterday.

"Hey there, Professor." Ash greeted.

"Yo, gramps." Gary said coolly.

I went straight to the point, "Hey Professor, we saw this really weird pokemon a few minutes ago. It was big enough for several full groan adults to ride, walked on all fours, was blue, and had long purple hair."

Professor Oak looked thoughtful for a second before disappearing from the screen. He reappeared with a book on legendary pokemon in his hands. He flipped through pages before holding it up, "_Did it look like this?_"

A creature that looked similar to what we saw appeared in the picture. It was a blue leopard-like animal, with a white belly and nose. A flowing, light purple mane acted as its hair. Teal, diamond-like horns protruded from its head. Determined, sharp crimson irises gazed into the distance. White spots decorated its sides. Its tail consisted of two, flowing white ribbons that danced to the front of it. That legendary pokemon was Suicune.

"That's Suicune!" I blurted.

Professor Oak nodded, "_Yes. Its said that Suicune possess the north wind, and can purify tainted waters. Its very rare indeed._"

"Have you ever seen one, Professor?" Ash asked.

He nodded, "_Yes, but just once._"

"Really?" Ash and I cried, "Where?"

A loud horn caught our attention. White was standing near his boat, waving to us. We bid farewell to the Professor and then headed after White. The boat we chose was smaller, but faster as well. Our pokemon followed us onto the boat, Larvitar trembling over having to be near water again.

The boat took off once we were all inside, and begin flying down the river.

After several minutes, it slowed. "What now?" Misty asked.

"Just wait and see." White pressed a button on the control panel. I watched in amazement as the bright orange sides of the boat inflated and rose into the air. We steadily followed, and began floating up the waterfall. We were flying! The boat flew to a village that appeared to be built into the tall trees at the top of the waterfall. We docked at one of the buildings, and then climbed down the stairs, making our way along the path and towards forest entrance. Mr. White decided to wait his house while we went on ahead.

"Suicune, here I come!" I announced as I ran along the dirt path.

I was about to entire the forest when a voice stopped me. "What do you think your doing?" I looked up at one of the tree houses. An old woman with long, pale green hair tied into pigtails was standing at the top. She wore a white and pink dress, her aged face starring at use sternly.

"I suppose you kids are heading into the forest to look for pokemon?"

"Yeah." Gary said, looking up at her.

"Then your gonna love what you see in there."

We turned around, finding a younger girl who appeared to be around our age. Long, dark green hair was tied into pigtails. She had light blue eyes, and wore a pink tank-top. Blue jeans covered her legs, and white sneakers acted as her footwear. She was carrying a basket full of herbs.

Brock blushed as he ran up to her, smiling like a dork, "I love what I see here! My names Brock and I'm studying to become the world's best breeder but my specialty is human relationships."

"Oh really?" the girl looked a little scared.

"Please tell me your name!" he begged, like a Growlithe for a steak.

She giggled, "I'm Diana," she gestured to the old woman, "and that's my grandma, Towa. She's been guarding the forest since she was my age."

"Listen to the voice of the forest!" Towa warned, "and if you hear it stop, and be still, or you will not escape."

Gary stared at her like she had gone mad, "Voice of what?"

"The voice of the forest," Diana corrected, "Its an old legend."

Towa was not as carefree and happy as her granddaughter, "Yes is a legend and its true! If you hear the voice, stop immediately!"

"Thanks for the warning ma'am!" Ash shouted before sprinting for the forest entrance.

Brock turned towards Diana, "Hey, why don't you come with us? To ya'know, protect us."

Misty grabbed his ear and began pulling him towards the entrance. Gary and I followed her, rolling our eyes at him. "Then she'd need protection from you."

The forest was filled of common pokemon. They watched us as we began walking along the road, Brock trying to analyze what the old woman was talking about. We stopped when the area began to ripple around us, turning blue and white.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Maybe it's the voice of the forest." Misty suggested.

Ash ran forward, "C'mon!"

"But shouldn't we stand still!" Brock called as we all followed Ash.

We came to a stone statue, and there we watched in amazement as the air ripped open. A boy fell from the hole, landing on the ground in front of the statue. He had short brown hair, and his skin was tanned. He was wearing a belt, green pants, brown shoes, and a khaki, button-up short-sleeved shirt. He was wearing a light orange pack.

"It's a kid." Gary said as we approached him. He was unconscious.

"Looks like he's still breathing." Misty whispered.

Brock checked his vitals to make sure, "Let's get him to Diana's house." He suggested. Gary helped Brock lift the kid onto Ash's back, and then we all sprinted back to the village.

"Hey!" I called, "We need help!"

As we approached their house, the boy began to regain consciousness. Ash placed him on the ground, and we watched as he sleepily gazed around. Suddenly, he jumped up, glaring at us, "What'd you do with Celebi!?" He lunged at Ash, who blocked his attack and punched him in the nose.

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Brock said as he tore the two boys apart.

The boy seemed to regain himself as he glanced around, confused, "Where am I? How'd I get here?"

"I carried you on my back, dumbass!" Ash shouted, angered by the brunette.

I gazed at the boy curiously. He looked oddly familiar, but I wasn't sure why. Diana and Towa came to meet us, asking what was wrong. The old woman cried out when she laid eyes on the mysterious boy, and then embraced him.

"You came back!" she cried, hugging the boy like he was her long lost brother or something. That boy's dark eyes looked so familiar, I was trying to figure out where I last saw them.

"Uh grandma, who's this?" Diana asked.

She released the boy and turned to her granddaughter, "This is the little boy from the forest. The one that disappeared." He wasn't really a 'little boy', seeing as he was probably fifteen, like Ash, Gary, and me.

"But this can't be him." Her granddaughter countered.

"I know it strange, but its him." Towa insisted.

The boy seemed to realize what the old woman was saying, "You're the girl who gave me the bread."

"Yes," She said with a nod, "Follow me. I have something to show you."

We all climbed the stairs and entered her small home. The first room we came to seemed to be a living room and a kitchen combined. I could see one or two counters, a small refrigerator, and a stove and oven. The living room was filled with an assortment of things. In the center was a wooden table with four chairs around it. Lavender cloth covered it. Bookshelves adorned with books and all kinds of trinkets lined the walls. There was a wooden rocking chair not far from the door. There were two more doors across from us, and two windows allowed sunlight to flood inside. Towa crossed the room and to one of the bookshelves while motioning for us to sit.

Diana, the strange boy, Brock and I took a seat at the table. Ash and Gary stood beside it. Misty pulled the rocking chair up. Umbreon and Pikachu stood near their masters while Togepi was within the water trainer's grasp, as always. Larvitar sat in my lap, curiously sniffing the air. Towa rummaged around the shelves before returning with a rectangular, flat object wrapped in bright orange cloth. She handed the object to the strange boy.

"I've kept it all these years, just in case you came back." We watched as he slowly unwrapped it, revealing a book with a brown leather cover. It was a little torn, though. Aged by the passage of time.

"My sketch book?" he turned his gaze on her, "But how?"

Her hands clasped together behind her back, "I've been taking care of this for the last _forty years._"

"Huh!?" Gary stared at her strangely, "But then he's as old as my grandpa!"

"How's that possible?" Misty was just as confused as the rest of us.

Diana wasn't too surprised to hear her grandmother's words. She answered our question calmly, "The legend says that the forest can catch a person and take them through time."

"Through time?" Pikachu scurried up the chair and onto Ash's head, while Umbreon curled up beside Gary's feet. Ash was gaping at what Diana had just said. So was I. I didn't think time travel was even possible.

The boy turned his gaze to the sketch book, lost in his own little world. "Oh!" his voice made me jump, "Where's Celebi?"

"Celebi?" Towa asked.

He nodded, "Yeah! Did any of you see a pokemon in the forest?"

"Uh, yeah, a lot of them." Gary replied, speaking to the boy as if he were an idiot.

"What is a Celebi?" If it was a legendary pokemon, then I planned to sketch a picture of it in my own notebook. So now I had two targets: Suicune and possible Celebi.

"Celebi is the spirit that protects the forest," Towa replied, "It has the power to travel through time."

"But why would it take me through time?" the brunette asked, confused.

Diana leaned onto the table, using her elbow and palm to support her head, "You must've been in danger and Celebi took the fastest route out of, taking you along with it."

"I'm afraid you're right," the old woman sighed and shook her head, "Celebi lives deep within the forest, in the Lake of Life. It might have gone back to the lake."

The boy's eyes filled with worry, "Celebi must still be hurt…" he rose to his feet, determination set on his face, "…I have to go back into that forest!"

"I'll go, too." Ash was smiling, despite how ridiculous he looked with a bright yellow rodent perched on his cranium.

I decided that since the legendaries are involved, I might as well help out. "Same here." I was stroking Larvitar's rough head as I stood.

"Then I guess I'm going too." Brock rose to his feet.

Misty soon followed, "I'll do the best I can."

Gary was standing beside Ash, his arms folded over his chest. He sighed and absentmindedly patted Umbreon on the head, "Guess I have to pitch in too, huh?"

"I'm Brock Takeshi, I'm a pokemon breeder." It was interesting how the guy changed from a gym leader to a breeder. That is probably what he had his sights set on all along.

The boy holding the sketch book spoke next, "I'm Sam."

"My specialty is water pokemon. My name is Misty Kasumi." The redhead held out her hand, shaking his.

"I'm Ash Ketchum." The raven-haired teen announced proudly.

"Bella Vanielle." I said.

The brunette approached Sam, and shook his hand, "Gary Oak."

"Huh?" Sam stared at him strangely, and then spoke, "Wow, you have the same last name as me."

"I do?" now Gary looked confused.

He nodded to confirm his own statement, "My full name is Samuel Oak, but I like to be called Sam."

"Huh, what a coincidence." He stroked his chin, as if deep in thought. Umbreon was starring at the boy strangely, and so were Pikachu and Larvitar. They knew something.

I decided to finish my introduction, "I'm trying to sketch all of the rare and legendary pokemon I can find," I gestured to the pokemon in my arms, "and this is my baby, Larvitar," Sam looked at me like I had grown two heads when I referred to the ground-type as my baby. "I hatched him from an egg." That seemed to clear things up for him.

"C'mon, we need to get going." Gary said as he and Umbreon headed for the door. We followed him out of the building and ran down the stairs, running towards the entrance of the forest.

I was surprised to see that the entrance was a giant, thick tree trunk that had fallen decades ago. There was a hole in the tree, and a sign near it. Our small group headed into the forest, finding a lack in a pokemon. We came to two, ginormous fallen tree trucks, both stacked on top of each other after having fallen over. They were covered in green moss. All of the wild pokemon were gathering near them.

Gary, Sam, and Ash all ran ahead. Pikachu rode on Ash's head as he began ascending the trunk, with the other two not far behind. I decided to stay. I was never as athletic like Ash and Gary were.

Misty giggled, "Ash and Gary climb just like a Mankey."

And she was right. It was funny seeing how the two worked their way up the tree, like they were pros.

We watched as the boys and Pikachu disappeared from sight at the top of the trunk. _Wonder what's going on up there. _My question was answered when Ash went soaring over the edge, with Gary not too far behind. The raven-haired boy caught the side of the truck, while Gary managed to grab his legs to avoid tumbling to the bottom. Gary's face twisted with annoyance as he furiously tried to climb over Ash and to the top. That didn't end very well. He ended up grabbing Ash's belt and yanking down, causing the world to see Ash's dark blue boxers adorned with yellow lightning bolts. Gary finished his climb before Ash, whose face was red with embarrassment.

"Nice undies, Ash!" Misty doubled over while I threw my head back, laughing at the boy's expense.

"Shut-up!" Ash snarled as he sped up the side of the trunk faster then I thought possible, like Gary had done.

Brock was stroking his chin, watching the boys' display, "I think they just evolved into Primeapes."

Misty and I continued to laugh as we waited for the three to return. After a few minutes, Pikachu, Ash, with his pants pulled up, and Gary began climbing down. Sam soon followed, a green creature tucked in one arm. When they touched the ground, I saw the pokemon they brought with them. It was small enough to carry with one arm. Its body was a pale green, while the back of its head had bright green leaves protruding from it, like hair. Sky-blue tipped antennas protruded from its head. Black rings encircled the creature's eyes, and small bug wings would allow flight. The lower half of its body was bright green. Its eyes were closed, so I couldn't see them.

"Is that Celebi?" It looked it. I could see bleeding cuts and bruises on the poor creature.

Sam nodded, "Yeah, but we need to take get help."

Brock pressed his fingers near its neck, "Yeah…its pulse is getting weak."

That worried me. Sam took the lead and we followed him, needing to get to the village as soon as possible.

"We need to take it to a Pokemon Cent-ah!" he was cut off in his sentence when a smoke bomb exploded in front of us.

I looked up into the tree that the bomb fell from. A familiar trio was standing on one branch. It was Jessie and James from Team Rocket. I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Here we go again. _

Jessie had her arms folded over her chest, "Prepare for trouble, your future looks grim!"

"And we're not afraid to go out on a limb." _That made absolutely no sense. _We were all, excluding Sam, starring at them like they were idiots. James' position mimicked Jessie.

They moved so that Jessie had her left arm extended, and James was kneeling on the branch, his back facing hers'. "To protect the world from devastation." The red-haired female added.

"To unite all peoples within our nation." I always noticed how their motto sounds a lot like Botch and Cassidy's, only it sounded like they were cheesy super heroes instead of cheesy villains.

The moved so that Jessie crouched down, and sort of bowing. James was standing so that his arms were spread open. "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above." James continued for his partner.

Then Jessie rose to her feet, and clapped hands with James. I wanted to laugh at them. "Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

James cackled stupidly, "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" They turned to look at us, Meowth appearing out of the trees above, finishing by saying his name. And then strange enough, a large blue pokemon around the same height as Ash appeared as well. It was a Wobbufett. They are not the brightest pokemon in the world, and can only use Counter attack. That added weight was enough to break the branch, and send the group tumbling to the forest floor. They landed with a resounding 'thud', groaning and moaning in pain.

We just walked past them, deciding that it would be best to ignore them.

"Are they okay?" Sam asked, curious.

Misty sighed, "Unfortunately yes."

"You twerps got lucky this time!" Jessie shouted as we ran away.

"Look, the village is up there!" Ash shouted.

Unfortunately, we never got any closer. A giant, metal leg stomped its way into our path. I looked up, finding a black metal machine with a crimson 'R' painted on it. There was a man piloting the machine. His face was covered by a golden mask, but I could see that he had a brown goatee and some of his brown hair was sticking out of the helmet. He wore a dark, blood-red tunic over his torso. A one-piece, short-sleeved black spandex outfit with mini shorts covered his torso, and then a long grey spandex outfit was beneath that. Pokeballs decorated his tunic. I would have found him intimidating had I not mistakened him for one the guys in Brittany Spear's music videos. It was the black mini shorts that ruined his appearance, really. He was also very muscular from the looks of it, and was lean.

"I've been looking for that little Celebi." His voice was rough and very deep.

"Who're you!?" Ash shouted up at him.

The man grinned, "A pokemon lover." Was his sarcastic reply.

"Back off!" I shouted, feeling slightly annoyed. Larvitar growled fiercely.

The man paused in what he was about to say and starred at us for a second, and then smiled. "Heh, it's that girl the boss wants us was to catch. This is like killing two birds with one stone!"

Gary sighed and shook his head, "Nice going Bells."

"Shut-up." I grumbled. The reached for his vest, and plucked a black pokeball off of it. He tossed the ball into the air, allowing the pokemon freedom.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw what it was. It was a large, reptilian creature. Rough, dull green skin made up its body. Spikes adorned its tail and back. Sharp, black irises glared down at us. There were darkened holes on its body, and it had a dull blue stomach. Sharp claws glinted in the sunlight. I grabbed my pokédex, confirming my fears. _Tyranitar, the fully evolved for of Larvitar. They are dangerous pokemon who protect their young fiercely. They are perfect for battle, and when enraged can create outstanding earthquakes. They are rare in the wild, and can usually be found in the mountains. _

There was something strange about this Tyranitar. "Hyper Beam!" the man ordered. Golden light shot from its mouth, causing us to scurry away from it.

Ash helped Misty to her feet and we all sprinted away, with Pikachu and Umbreon following closely. Misty limped her way along the rocks, but then dropped down. "Ash…I twisted my knee." She whimpered.

"Then you should stay off of it." He suggested. I heard two voices behind us, and turned to find two pokemon. They were different then the usual species.

One was tall enough that it reached my knees. Black fur covered its body, and pointed ears protruded from its head. Its left ear was a crimson spike. Sharp, crimson irises gazed at us. Red feathers tipped with white acted as its tail, and it had long, sharp claws on its paws. _Sneasel, the ice-dark pokemon. Sometimes they will evolve into Weavile at night. The red feathers on the females are shorter than the males. They are extremely vicious pokemon, and can do quite a bit of damage. They are very agile, and enjoy injuring weaker pokemon. They can be found in the mountains and caves. _

The other pokemon was around the same height as I was. It looked very similar to Scyther, only its body was covered in crimson armor. Its claws reminded me of a Krabby. White bug-like wings protruded from its back. _Scizor, the evolved form of Scyther. It is a bug-steel type. They scare others with their vicious claws, and are not particularly friendly. They are usually found in the forest. _

"Those must be that guy's pokemon!" Brock said as he helped Misty climb onto his back.

"Alright!" Ash grabbed a pokeball and tossed it into the air. A creature that was almost up to my shoulder appeared. Its body was light yellow, and it had a long neck. A pale green leaf protruded from its nose and pointed at the back of its head. Carefree, crimson irises gazed around at the forest. Long green buds acted like a necklace.

_Bayleef, the evolved form of Chikorita. They are calmer then their previous form, but the scent on their leaves can excite people. They are hard to find in the wild, but usually they live in mountainous regions. _

Same reached into his pocket and pulled an old style, brown pokeball with a cog on it out of his pocket. He twisted the cog, and then held the ball out. A light appeared, soon allowing us to see a Charmeleon.

Sneasel and Scizor charged at Charmeleon and Bayleef, who easily repelled their claw-based attacks. Scizor followed Bayleef onto the rocks while Sneasel focused on the fire-type. "Bayleef, use Razor Leaf!"

Scizor use Double Team to dodge the attack, then Agility to sneak up on the grass-type. It knocked Bayleef back that it hit a tree. Scizor used another Double Team to confused the grass-type while Charmeleon and Sneasel relied solely on hand-to-hand combat. Scizor knocked Bayleef against another boulder, and then continued to use Double Team.

"Look for the real one, Ash." Sam said as he focused on his pokemon.

"Concentrate and then you'll find the real one!" Bayleef nodded to its trainer, and then closed its eyes. It used Razor Leaf, hitting the real Scizor this time.

"You're a good trainer, Ash." The brunette said.

He smirked, "Having great pokemon helps. Huh? Look out, Sam!" The boy turned his attention to Charmeleon.

Sneasel was powerful. Its claws left craters every time it landed a hit on the ground. "Charmeleon, use Headbutt!" The pokemon did as it was told, and knocked the pokemon out immediately.

Gary then ran towards Sneasel with Scizor in his arms, along with a rope. He tied the two together and then left them near a rock. Once that was done, we all left the spot and headed deep into the trees. The mist continued to thicken, proving to be quite difficult to overcome.

"This is bad…" I groaned, curiously looking around.

I paused when I saw two pokemon, one small the other huge. One was an orange Teddiursa while the other was a tall, brown Ursaring. The two nodded to us, and we decided to follow them…

**This is my longest chapter yet. Eighteen pages. Well, please review and I shall update soon…**


	38. Chapter 38

**And now for the continuation of the last chapter. There will be two more movie chapters for this story, one being a filler while the other will conclude a very important battle for Bella. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 37: Life**

"_Any idiot can face a crisis, _

_Its day-to-day living that wears you down._"

-Anton Chekhov

The thick mist around us made it difficult for our group to find our way out. Luckily for us, a Teddiursa and an Ursaring appeared and decided to lead the way. We followed them for several minutes, and then a Stantler appeared. The normal-type led the way, a serious expression on its face. We silently walked along, feeling worried for Celebi. Before long, a Furret took over as our guide. Soon, the mist began to clear, and I could see a large lake in the distance. Sam walked into the lake with Celebi in his arms. The mist cleared, allowing us to see an assortment of wild pokemon on the other side of the bank. I watched as Celebi kicked out of Sam's arms, and swam into the water.

I waited, hopping that the little pokemon would come up soon. The water began to shine a bright green. And then, the light vanished, allowing us to see a glowing Celebi.

"Hey guys, Celebi's swimming." Misty announced, smiling at the pokemon.

It emerged from the water, singing merrily and soaring through the air. Cheerful, sky-blue eyes stared at us as it flew in circles around our heads.

"Wow," I couldn't help but smile as I watched it, "it's so cute."

Ash threw his jacket off, "Let's do it!" And then dove into the water. Sam soon followed, with Brock and Misty laughing at them. While they swam in the water, Misty sat at the edge and allowed her leg to soak in the clear lake.

While I waited for them to come up, someone pushed me into the water. Larvitar leapt out of my arms, landing on the bank while I screamed and hit the freezing cold lake. I broke to the surface, and glared up at Gary, who was laughing at me.

"Jerk!" I splashed water at him, and then dove under. I looked around, and found Ash and Sam swimming with some water-type pokemon.

I decided to join them. Celebi swam in circles around us, singing happily over having a third member in the water. But it was not long before we had to go up for air, and quickly began swimming to the surface. Sam, Ash, and I desperately held out breaths as we tried to reach precious oxygen. As soon as we hit the air, our bodies began to glow a bright blue, and we went soaring upwards. Celebi flew with us, giggling as we flew. It paused to heal Misty's knee, and then continued to fly with us.

"This is so cool!" Ash cried as we flew over the trees, and caught sight of the village.

Once we were finished flying, we left the lake and began walking in the direction of the village.

We paused when Celebi flew towards a tree covered in crimson berries. "Those look pretty good." Sam said as he climbed the tree and made himself comfortable on a branch. Ash and Pikachu joined them. Celebi ate a berry, smiling at us. Brock and Gary picked some and handed them to Misty and I. They were delicious! I had never eaten berries that tasted so good, and apparently Celebi liked them too.

We picked some berries to go and continued on our way. I found myself carrying Larvitar once more. The sun slowly began to descend the sky, and soon it was noon.

"We should probably make camp." Gary suggested. We found a clear spot in the forest, and quickly began to set up camp. Brock made a fire and started cooking our dinner for us.

He made some kind of stew. I took a bowl and ate it, complimenting his culinary skills. After dinner, Misty and Togepi went to bed, with Brock not far behind. Pikachu and Celebi fell asleep together, with Larvitar beside them as well. Gary stayed awake with Ash, Sam, and I. I opened my pack and pulled my sketch book and a pencil out. I opened it to a new page and began drawing a small picture of Pikachu, Celebi, and Larvitar as they slept. After drawing the pokemon, I drew a picture of Sam standing near them, smiling down at them. I planned to draw Suicune behind them if I ever saw one again. Night fell by the time I was finished, and Gary and Ash had gone to bed.

"That's really good."

I jumped and looked up at Sam. He smiled as he sat beside me, "Can I take a look?"

"Uh, yeah…and thanks." I handed him my sketch book.

He began sifting through, looking at the pictures. "Wow, you have a lot of legendary pokemon in here. There's a Mew, and a Lugia…and the other three legendary birds. Oh, and there's an Entei and the Unown! Who's that little girl?"

"A friend of mine." It was actually Molly. I drew a picture of her with Entei and the Unown encircling them.

"Who's this pokemon?" I looked at the notebook, and found a picture of that lavender pokemon that I didn't recognize.

I shrugged, "Dunno. I woke up one day and found an image of it in my head. Guess I forgot where I saw it."

"Hey, that's a picture of me, Pikachu, Celebi, and Larvitar!" I nodded, enjoying his enthusiasm. "Wanna take a look at my sketch book?"

I nodded, and he handed to me. There were pictures of everyday pokemon, but they were all drawn very good. The style was similar to mine. I found a picture of Pikachu, Celebi, and Larvitar, and they were all sleeping in the same position as they were in my sketch book. He even drew Umbreon curled up behind them.

"This is really good," I closed it, and we handed each others notebooks back to the rightful owners. I decided to go to bed, seeing as I was already getting tired after the day's events. "Good night, Sam." I climbed into my sleeping bag, which was placed beside Gary. I closed my eyes, and slowly allowed myself to fall asleep…

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Morning arrived within four hours. After waking up, Brock cooked pancakes for breakfast. We ate quickly and then packed our things, heading towards the village afterwards.

Celebi hovered around us, singing as it did so.

"Alright, we'll just head to the village and…" Sam stopped in mid sentence when Celebi cried out in pain.

A large mechanical arm shot from the trees, narrowly missing the legendary grass-type. "Thought you got rid of us, huh twerps?" I turned around, finding Jessie, James, and Meowth. They were holding butterfly nets.

I narrowed my eyes, "Why won't you three just go away? Your so annoying."

The giant mechanical monster piloted by that weird guy stomped up to us, sharpened claws flailing about. Obviously, he was a member of Team Rocket. Pikachu tried a thunder attack, but a barrier repelled it.

My eyes narrowed dangerously, until they were reduced to slits, "Well if lightning doesn't work," I tossed a pokeball, allowing Quilava freedom. "Flamethrower!"

Quilava opened his mouth, allowing the fire to spill forth. It hit the machine, only to be repelled like Pikachu's thunder attack. _Damn! _"Your attacks won't work against me!" The claws lunged at us, knocking trees over as they moved. The struck Celebi, and then electrocuted it before tossing it into the air. The man tossed a black pokeball, and successfully caught Celebi!

"Celebi!" I cried. Both Ash and I ran at the machine, and climbed onto the legs and made our way to the top. I left Larvitar with Brock, so he was safe. Quilava and Pikachu followed us onto the machine, prepared to attack the man.

"Stupid kids." The guy growled. He stopped when a horde of Pidgeys began to peck at his head. Ash and I leapt into the cockpit and grabbed at the black pokeball, desperately trying to wrench it from his hands. The man fought back while blocking the Pidgeys, only for Pikachu to land on his shoulder and sink its fangs into his flesh, Quilava taking the time to bite hit thigh. The man cried out and kicked at and punched at us, landing his knuckles against my nose. Blood spewed from my nostrils, and I angrily stomped on his foot while Ash tried to jerk the pokeball away from him.

He lost control of the machine, and it tumbled sideways, knocking a handful of trees down along with it. I cried out as I fell backwards, hitting the back of my head on the dirt ground. The forest spun in circles around me, and I tried to regain myself. There was a cry of pain, and I looked to see the guy stomping on Ash's hand.

"Ash!" I ran at the Team Rocket member, prepared to kick him where no man should be kicked. I stopped short when he grabbed my throat and punched me as hard as he could in the back of the head. Black spots tore at my vision as he pressed down on the artery in my neck, and slowly, I lost consciousness…

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"Bella! Ash!" I shouted as I sprinted towards the fallen machine. I ran around the fallen trees and machine, and stopped when I saw what I was looking for. I found that man standing in front of Ash, holding the black pokeball. An unconscious Bella was slung over his shoulder. Quilava and Pikachu appeared, growling fiercely at the man.

The wild pokemon were roaring and howling at him, demanding the man to release Celebi. "Give Bella back!" I ordered, with Umbreon, Brock, Misty, Sam, and Larvitar all standing behind me.

The man cackled, "Don't waste your breath! Its too late to save Celebi. Ya'know why? Because the sweet little pokemon you used to know doesn't exist anymore! See for yourself!" He chucked the ball into the air. It opened, allowing Celebi to hover freely.

"Get rid of them all!" When the pokemon opened its eyes, I found that they were grey and slitted. This pokemon…it was demented.

Powerful winds began tearing at the trees and scaring the wild pokemon. "Your really strong, Celebi," The man smirked as Celebi began pulling debris towards it, building a large nest. "Hah! With a pokemon like you, no-one will _ever _stop me!" Both the man and Bella disappeared into the debris and Celebi began to fly away.

"Bella!" I shouted, but it was too late. She was gone. I stomped my foot, glaring at where they once were. _Damn him! I won't let him get away! _I turned around, finding that Ash regained consciousness.

"W-where's Bella? And Celebi?" he asked.

I turned to fully face him, "That bastard kidnapped both of them!" I felt something tug at my pants, and looked down. Larvitar was standing there, looking up at me tearfully. He wanted to know where Bella was. I sighed and scooped the pokemon into my arms, "Don't worry Larvitar, we'll get your mommy back." Quilava looked just as worried as the ground-type.

"Hey!"

I looked up, finding that guy Mr. White, Towa, and Diana hovering above us. They were using the man's boat. "We'll come get you!" Diana shouted.

The boat landed near us, and we all quickly climbed onboard. They quickly took flight once again, and began heading in the same direction Celebi went.

"So what's the situation?" White asked. He looked frustrated.

"Some guy from Team Rocket captured Celebi, and now he's making it destroy everything! And he kidnapped our friend, Bella." Misty explained quickly.

Towa sighed and shook her head, "Despicable. Forcing the very soul of the forest to destroy its own home…and then involving children…"

I watched as we flew on, waiting to see some sign of them. That came rather quickly, seeing as a gigantic monstrosity made of trees and debris appeared. A pink laser beam shot from its mouth, and created a path of destruction.

"What is that?" Towa gasped.

Brock leaned over the edge, "Evil Celebi must've created it." The creature turned to us, creating another beam.

"Hold on!" White took control of the boat, and quickly tried to avoid the blast. The beam grazed us, and sent the boat plummeting to the lake and forest below. I cried out as I sunk into the water, and quickly swam to the top with Larvitar in my arms.

Ash and Sam swam up to me with Umbreon and Pikachu. Quilava was still with the others, who appeared to be alright. But the boat was in ruins. The monstrosity slowly approached us, and stopping directly in front of us. "Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt!" Ash ordered. The electric-type tried, but the attack was useless.

"Umbreon, try Shadow Ball!" A blue sphere shot from its mouth, but was deflected by the creature. "Nothing works!"

The man was standing on one of the long claws that monster possessed, "Celebi, eliminate these children!"

A pink blast appeared from within its 'mouth', and was about to shoot forward. I commanded Umbreon to move, which it reluctantly obeyed. Just as the blast was about to shoot towards us, something appeared in its way. The smoke cleared, allowing us to what it was. My jaw fell when I saw that it was the blue, legendary pokemon known as Suicune! The creature looked down at us, and knelt so that we could climb onto its back. Suicune leapt into the air with all of us on its back, and began hoping towards the creature. I left Larvitar on Umbreon's back so that he would be safe.

"Did you come to help us?" Ash asked. It barked. "Then take us to Celebi right away!" There was another roar.

The man hopped onto the bank, smiling at us. "Now I can catch a Suicune, too!" He called out his Tyranitar. "Hyper Beam!"

"We gotta stop 'em!" Brock tossed a pokeball into the air, allowing his Onix to move freely. Quilava used Flamethrower to counter the Hyper Beam, and then joined Onix in fighting Tyranitar.

Suicune opened its mouth, allowing a glowing bubble attack to hit the Tyranitar and weaken it. Onix was easily defeated by the green ground-type, as was Quilava. "Suicune!  
Ash cried. It barked and used another blast on the creature, only to be captured by it. Vines wrapped around Suicune and hoisted it into the air, with us on its back.

"Good, now teach it a lesson!" Electricity stabbed at my body, causing me to cry out in pain. I quickly slid off of Suicune's body, and fell down to the mouth of the beast. Ash, Sam, and Pikachu soon followed. I glanced inside of the creature, finding that woman named Jessie caught in its vines.

"You have to be careful," the redhead groaned. She was hanging upside down. "Celebi's just above us."

"And Bella?" I wanted to know if she was okay.

She nodded, "Yeah, that girl's here, too. But she's still unconscious." I sighed. _That girl can sleep through anything. _We began climbing up, ignoring Jessie as she yelled at us. We found Celebi hovering in the middle of its vines, glaring at us.

"Celebi! Stop it!" Ash ordered.

"Your supposed to protect the voice not destroy it!" Sam insisted.

I narrowed my eyes, "Snap out of it already!"

The pokemon started screaming, almost as if it were in pain. The debris-made creature began hovering away from the others. Ash, Sam, and I climbed inside and began making our way towards it. I climbed passed it to Bella, who was entangled in the vines. I patted her cheek, trying to help her regain consciousness. "Wake-up Bells, c'mon!" Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at me.

"Gary?" I nodded, and began tearing at the veins. "Uh…how'd the heck did I get here!?"

"That guy kidnapped you, drove Celebi insane, and had it make this weird thing," I replied quickly and I freed. Just as I finished, the debris began to fall apart. "The heck!?" We would have fallen if something didn't catch us.

"Celebi!" Bella cried. I looked at it, and found its cute blue eyes glowing brightly. It was using its powers to carry us. Celebi pulled us from the debris and allowed it all to tumble into the Lake of Life.

Celebi brought us to the bank, but then slowly began losing consciousness. We landed in the shallow water, where Ash managed to catch it.

"Celebi!" Ash cried.

Misty, Brock, Towa, Diana, White, and our pokemon met us at the bank. They realized immediately that something was wrong. We approached them, and allowed Brock to examine Celebi.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Ash shook his head, "I don't know." Just then, Celebi turned a dark green, and its body was covered in lines, cuts, and wrinkles.

Brock jumped, "The water! Get it into the water!"

Ash quickly dipped Celebi into the lake, but it wasn't working. "Huh? But…"

"The forest is dying…" Towa whispered, a defeated expression on her face.

"But can't Suicune heal tainted water?" Bella suggested.

Said pokemon appeared behind them. Just as she said that, Suicune began hopping along the water. We watched as it lit up, turning a bright sky-blue. I had to cover my eyes to avoid going blind.

"So the legend is true…" White whispered, amazed by what he saw.

Ash dipped Celebi back into the water. "Look Celebi, the waters all clean again." We waited, but there wasn't a reaction.

"Its not working…" the old woman whispered.

Ash's eyebrows knitted together. "Okay, we'll try this," he sat on the bank, and pulled some berries out of his pocket. "Here, your favorite berries!" He tried to place one in its mouth, but it slipped out of his fingers and landed in the water. He forced a smile, "Heh, that's alright. Here." Ash tried, but the next berry slipped from his grasp again. He tried three berries, his hand shaking as he did. But they all slipped from his grasp as well.

Tears slid from his eyes, "Celebi you can't die!" He embraced the dying pokemon, his shoulders shaking. Bella was hugging Larvitar, crying along with the others. White and Brock just stood there, staring down at Celebi, hurt in their eyes. The pokemon began to cry out to it, but Celebi wouldn't respond.

"Dammit!" Sam stopped his foot in the water, glaring down at it, "Celebi never meant to destroy the voice! It wasn't give a choice…and now it'll never have a choice…'cause now its gonna die!"

_So…everything was for nothing…? _I sighed. "I can't…hm?" A strange sing filled the air. It was a soft, beautiful melody. Pale teal and white light exploded in the sky. We all turned our gaze upwards, curious as to what was going on.

"That's the voice of the forest!" Towa announced.

I watched as the dying Celebi lifted into the air, being drawn towards the light. I squinted my eyes, trying to see what was going on. I gasped when I realized that there was a large horde of Celebi floating around it. The trees pulsated a bright blue as the Celebi encircled the dying legendary. Disbelief filled my mind as Celebi returned to its healthy color, and began signing merrily.

"I don't believe it…" was all I could say. The radiant light exploded and then vanished, leaving only one Celebi. The pokemon began soaring around us, filled with life once more.

"The Celebi from the past must have sensed that they were needed, and came to help the voice." I could tell that Towa was relieved as well.

Celebi continued soaring over the lake, dancing and singing. It was such a relief to see that it was okay…until a pair of gloved hands caught it. That guy from before smirked as he caught Celebi again, "Now I have all I need to rule the world!" A jet back appeared from under his tunic, and he took off into the air.

Bella bristled like an angry Persian, "You son of…GET BACK HERE!!!" I slowly backed away, fearing for my own life. Ash, Pikachu, and Bella sprinted at him. The managed to grab his legs before he could get to far, and soared high into the air.

I rolled my eyes as Bella's enraged screams echoed down to us. _Okay, now I feel kinda sorry for him. _That girl can be pretty scary when she was angry. The man kicked at them, only to be electrocuted by Pikachu. That short circuited the pack, causing all of them plummet down towards the trees. I watched as they fell, feeling extremely nervous. I calmed when Celebi used its power to catch Bella, Ash, and Pikachu, but allowed that guy to hit the trees.

Everyone ran to where he had fallen before he had time to escape. To help, wild pokemon grouped around him. They were not very happy. The guy's mask fell off, and rolled away from. He had a black eyes.

I reached down and picked it up. _Property of Vicious? _I blinked, "Your name is Vicious? What the heck!? What are you, some crappy comic book villain or something?"

"No, he's the guy from one of Brittany Spears' music videos." Misty snickered when Bella grumbled that after Celebi allowed her land on the ground.

"You tried to destroy out forest mister, and we don't take kindly to such behavior." Towa said sternly. White began cracking his knuckles, grinning evilly at the man below him.

Vicious crawled away, gazing up at us in fear, "T-this is all just a _big _misunderstanding!" The bug pokemon used String Shot to tie him.

"I think the pokemon understand what you were doing." Diana smirked.

Once he was tied up, Suicune turned away from us. "You have to go?" Bella asked. It nodded, "Well, thanks for every thing." It barked and then hopped away.

Shortly after Suicune left, Celebi began to glow. It hovered above the lake, smiling down on us. The trees began to glow.

"Looks like Celebi is ready to go back, and it wants to take you along with it." Towa said.

Sam looked up at it, "Really? I can go back?" Celebi nodded. He turned to us, and smiled, "Well, guess this is goodbye, huh? Hope I can see you again someday."

"Same here." Ash shook his hand, and watched as Sam was carried into the air. We watched as they vanished in a pure light. Once the light was gone, we found that so were Celebi and Sam…

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Shortly after all of the excitement, we returned to the village. I recalled Quilava afterwards. There, Towa fixed dinner for us and we all spoke about the events that took place. Noon fell, and we were forced to leave the village along with Mr. White. The man brought Vicious with us back to the town. On the way back, I finished my sketch. Now Suicune was standing behind Sam, starring down at the sleeping pokemon. I paused to kick Vicious in the stomach once or twice. I hated that man.

Once White's new boat arrived at the town, we immediately ran to the phone booth and dialed Professor Oak's number.

It was not long before he picked up, surprised to see all of us again, "_Good afternoon kids. How've you been?_"

"Hey there, Professor," I said, "turns out that pokemon we saw was a Suicune."

Misty pushed her way to the phone, "Yeah, and we saw a Celebi and it could travel through time. It was amazing!"

He chuckled, "_Sounds like you kids had fun,_" he paused and looked at Ash, "_What's wrong, Ash? You look depressed. Didn't you have fun?_"

He sighed, "Well…I met this pokemon trainer, and we become good friends. But now he's gone, and I'm not sure I'll see him again."

"_There's no need to worry, Ash,_" Oak smiled like a grandfather would, "_Friendship can last even though time. I that you and Sammy would stay good friends in the end._"

Ash brightened immediately, "That's good to hear."

"_Well, it was nice talking to you kids, but I need to go for now. Bye._" Professor Oak hung up.

The boat's horn went off. We needed to go again. The rest of us began heading for the boat, only to stop when Misty did.

"Hey guys," I waited for her to finish speaking, "How did Professor Oak know about Sam? We never mentioned his name."

There was an awkward silence. That was a very good question. How did Professor Oak know Sam's name? We all looked at each other, only to hear the horn again. Without a moment's hesitation, we sprinted towards the boat.

"Amazing! Professor Oak really does know everything!" Brock shouted as we boarded the boat before it could leave.

Gary and I chose a room after saying goodbye to the others. There, I sat on the bed, little Larvitar lying on my lap. Umbreon laid down near the bed, sighing heavily. Another adventure, and even more legendaries…

**The end of this chapter. Of course, none of them figured out Professor Oak's secret. Well, anyway please review and I shall update soon…**


	39. Chapter 39

**And here is the next chapter. This chapter is going to be pretty short, but the next chapter is going to be longer. Hope you enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 38: Steel **

"_All wars are civil wars,_

_Because all men are brothers._"

-Francois Fenelon

The next day, the boat arrived at the next city. Gary and I said farewell to Ash and the others before heading to the nearest Pokemon Center. There, we ate a quick breakfast and rested our pokemon, then headed to a the Pokemart. We bought all of the needed provisions, and then left for Olivine City.

Gary was pumped after yesterday's events. He was excited that he managed meet not one but _two _legendary pokemon. And he discovered that time travel is possible; actually, we both learned that. While we were walking along the route, I let him skim through my notebook, and see my pictures. I explained to him that I draw a picture of each legendary after meeting them face-to-face. First, he saw a picture of me sitting in front of a tree, embracing a young Charmander. I drew that directly after getting my starter pokemon and right before leaving Pallet Town. The next was of me sitting in front of another tree with Charmander, Nidoran, and Pikachu crowding around me. I was cradling Larvitar's egg in my arms and flashing the Boulder and Cascade badges.

Another image was of Sabrina and I sitting at her dining room table, eating a meal. Charmeleon, Espeon, and all of my other pokemon were in the image. The next was of me riding on Charizard's back, cradling my new black and blue egg and a young Larvitar. He went on. I watched as his face shown with disbelief when he found a picture of Mew.

"You didn't find a Mew! Those are extinct!" he shouted, a suspicious expression on his face.

I shrugged, "Honestly, I don't remember meeting Mew. But for some reason…I had an urge to draw it."

He looked at the picture again, "Its so detailed…more detailed then any of the pictures I've seen." He was right. No-one has had a close look at Mew before, so it was hard to believe that I had put some much detail into the drawing. One could tell what kind of personality it had just by looking at the picture.

He flipped the page, a little confused, "What is this?" I looked at it, finding that strange lavender colored character.

"Again, not sure what that is. It just randomly came to mind, so I felt like drawing it." And that was the truth. Did I make it up?

He turned the page again, "A Lugia? And all three birds? You didn't honestly see them."

"Yes I did," I stated firmly, "I even rode on Lugia's back!"

Gary rolled his eyes and began flipping the page, "Yeah, whatever."

"Ash was there!" I insisted.

He looked at me strangely, "Why was Ash with you?"

"I was going to a festival in the islands and he just so happened to be there." Either that, or he was there because of fate. He was the 'chosen one' after all.

"An Entei? And the Unown? Your kidding me!" he paused, "Who's that little girl?"

I continued walking, and stroked Larvitar's head, "Molly. I met her when I ran into a fake Entei created by the Unown. Didn't you see what happened at Greenfield on the news?"

He blanched, "You were there!?" I smirked and nodded, finding his reaction humorous. He shook his head and then turned to the page with Pikachu, Celebi, Larvitar, Sam, and Suicune. Gary was there for that, so he knew that I met Celebi and Suicune. He handed my sketch pad back to me, and I place it inside of my pack.

Shortly after our little conversation, we came to another fork in the road. Gary and I argued over which road we would take before coming to a decision and moving on. Of course we chose the most difficult path. After going left, we began running to more powerful trainers. Gary and I took turns battling, strengthening our pokemon as much as we could. In one battle, I watched in amazement as Larvitar evolved into Pupitar. Pupitar was a dull blue-gray cocoon, adorned with spikes on the back. It wore a mask, shielding its eyes from view. The way the mask was shapped made them seem sharp, but they were still cute and curious. The irises were crimson. By evolving, my pokemon learned how to perform Hyper Beam, an attack that would be useful in the future. Because Pupitar couldn't walk, and was covered in spikes, I convinced him to let me carry him in his pokeball.

Espeon was just as strong as ever, maybe even more so. Quilava would probably be evolving soon, as would Houndour. Scyther wasn't prepared to evolve yet, and Misdreavus couldn't evolve on her own. Since Pupitar is a cocoon, that meant that it would become a Tyranitar soon.

Gary and I were forced to camp out in the end. We chose the safest spot before making camp, and then waited for morning to head to a nearby Pokemon Center.

We ate breakfast there, let our pokemon rest, and then headed out once more.

Trainers were becoming more troublesome then they were before. I was given the chance to update my pokédex with each new trainer we fought, and help prepare my pokemon for the gym leader in Olivine City.

Another three days passed before we finally reached Olivine City. I was relieved to find myself in the Pokemon Center, eating a hot dinner and not camping. Our pokemon were being taken care of by Nurse Joy, so we had nothing to worry about. We ate our dinner, rented a room, and then decided to turn in for the night. The next, I took a shower and ate a quick breakfast. I decided to let Gary fight the gym leader first; I would relax and fight them tomorrow.

While he was busy with that, I decided to take a look around the city, with Quilava at my side.

It was smaller then Ecruteak had been. Stores and homes surrounded us as we walked around. There was a Pokemart and a Pokemon Center, obviously. The city had its own beach and port, seeing as it was right next to the ocean. Water pokemon were probably a common sight here. _The gym leader might rely heavily on water-types. _That would be bad news for Pupitar, Quilava, and Houndour. I would have to go with Espeon, Scyther, and Misdreavus. I wasn't surprised to find out that the city had its very own lighthouse. Just seeing the building reminded of Bill.

_Wonder how he's doing. _I started thinking about everyone. I remembered when I met Bill, Charizard was still a Charmander. Nidoqueen was a Nidoran. Pupitar was still an egg. And my Pikachu was with me.

_I've come so far. _I sat on the beach, watching as others played around me. Quilava laid down beside me, and allowed me to stroke his fur.

I became a pokemon trainer, have beaten all eight of Kanto's gym leaders, participated in the Indigo Plateau, and met a handful of legendary pokemon. Now I have new pokemon, and I'm working my way to the Silver Conference. I reached into my pocket and pulled the case out, glancing at it. There was a baby-blue Zephyr Badge, a red black Hive Badge, a golden Plain Badge, and then a navy blue Fog Badge. Four in all. _I have four more, and then I can train until the Silver Conference. _Honestly, I was feeling nervous.

Despite having gone through this once, I was still excited and nervous about it. I also wondered if I would become the champion this time, or if I would lose again. There was only one way to find out.

Earlier that day, in the Pokemon Center, I was watching the news. They said that Red gave up his position as the Indigo champion, and the title was passed to someone named Lance, one of the original elite four. I wondered why he would willingly throw that title away after working so hard to earn it. I laid down on the beach, wanting nothing more then to relax. Quilava was snoring peacefully beside me. I closed my eyes, and slowly my mind to detach itself from reality…

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_My eyes locked with the ground below me. A radiant ivory light prevents me from seeing the beings below. I close my eyes, and delve deep into their minds, reviewing their memories. I delete certain ones, protecting myself and others. I turn to my other, and nod. The two of us ascend into the sky, and silently transport the sleeping ones back to port. The wind whipped around me as I soared alongside my companions. Clouds passed us, and I ran into a few wild pokemon._

_Why do I exist?_

_What is my purpose?_

_I watch as my other returns to the wild, where he should be. _

_Will I ever find the answer? _

_A beautiful island appears in my peripheral vision. I bring my comrades here, and here we make our home. It is cut off from the rest of the world, so we may truly take root in this place. I create technology that allows me to view the outside world, and curiously watch the lives of others. _

_Can you tell me…my purpose…? _

_My destiny…?_

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I awoke on the beach with Quilava beside me, his head resting on my stomach. The sun was setting in the distance, and my stomach was growling fiercely at me. My pokemon and I were alone, except for one couple making out in front of the sunset. I decided to return to the Pokemon Center, seeing as Gary was probably finished with his battle, and he must have been really worried.

Quilava and I made our way through Olivine City, finding the center quickly. There, I ran into a worried Gary. I explained to him that we spent all day at the beach, and that I didn't run into any trouble. Once I was finished with my explanation, we sat down and had dinner and then turned in for the night. I was forced to share a bed with Gary again, but I didn't mind too much. I was getting used to it, and Quilava was in there, along with Umbreon.

The next morning, Gary and I had breakfast at the Pokemon Center, retrieved our pokemon, and then headed to the gym. Like the others in Johto, this gym was very simple. Concrete, grey walls and glass double doors. We went inside, and moved straight through the dull lobby and to the gym. It was humungous, bigger then most of the gyms I encountered. Inside the gym, there was only one person.

The gym leader was a surprise. She appeared to be the same age as me. Her frame was extremely skinny, and she wore a pure white dress. White sandals acted as her footwear, and clicked as she turned to face me. Long, light brown cascaded down her back. Some of it was pinned into two pigtails protruding at the sides of her head; the pins were dark yellow. She had pale skin. Determined, dark blue pools gazed at me.

"Who're you?" she placed her hands on her hips, watching as I stopped on the other side of the gym.

"Bella Vanielle, of Pallet Town," I announced, not as dramatic as usual, "You?"

She smiled and gestured to herself, "Jasmine Mikan, the gym leader of Olivine City," her cocky grin widened, "I'm guessing that you want a Mineral Badge, right?"

"That'd be nice, yes." I reached for my belt, carefully fingering my first choice.

She reached into the pocket of her dress, something I hadn't noticed before, and tossed a pokeball into the air, "Then you'll have to beat me first!"

The pokeball exploded, allowing ivory light to flood the area in front of her. It was a Magnemite. I smirked and changed my mind, deciding on the best choice for this match. Pupitar appeared before me. Now Magnemite's electric attacks wouldn't stand a chance.

"Good choice…" Jasmine muttered, "Magnemite, use…"

"Pupitar, use Hyper Beam!" Golden light shot from my blue colored pokemon, hitting Magnemite and sending it flying across the room.

Her eyebrows narrowed, "Your fast. Gyro Ball!" Magnemite took flight, and rapidly began spinning. A white ring surrounded its body as it slammed into Pupitar, injuring him.

"Another Hyper Beam!" I called. Pupitar shot another beam at the Magnemite, but it used Agility to dodge the attack, and then dished out another Gyro Ball.

"Thrash!" Pupitar flew forward and began beating Magnemite into the floor, denting its sides.

"Hidden Power!" Jasmine cried. The concrete around them cracked, and then slowly lifted into the air.

"Counter with Rock Slide!" Pupitar took control of the concrete that Magnemite had been manipulating, and slammed them against the electric-steel-type.

"Discharge!" she called.

Golden electricity engulfed Pupitar, but it didn't do any damage. "This battle was over the moment we called out our pokemon." I muttered, feeling confident. It was clear that her Magnemite knew only two attacks that would save it from Pupitar, so I decided to go ahead and end this battle.

"Use Gyro Ball!" Jasmine commanded again.

Magnemite knocked Pupitar away from it, sending him soaring into the air. "Hyper Beam." Golden light shot from Pupitar and hit Magnemite point-blank. I watched as the electric-steel-type remained motionless, unable to continue on.

"Wow," Jasmine said as she recalled Magnemite, "Your really strong. I had no idea." She was being sarcastic. She reached into her pocket and tossed another pokeball into the air.

A pokemon I didn't recognize appeared. It stood on its hind legs, and was colored a bright yellow with a white stomach. Its tail was tipped with a crimson sphere, and stripped with black. Black strips decorated its long neck, too. Yellow and black horns protruded from its head, and a red gem decorated its forehead. Soft-spoken black irises gazed at me. _Ampharos, the electric-type. They are very docile creatures, and try to avoid confrontation as much as possible. They can be found in prairies and fields. _

"Good job, Pupitar." I recalled my pokemon and then prepared for another one. My next choice was Houndour.

"Fire Fang!" Houndour leapt at Ampharos, flames filling his mouth.

"Evade, now Discharge!" The yellow pokemon tried to move, but was bitten and burned in the end. It took its chance and electrocuted Houndour, getting its revenge.

"Tackle!" Ampharos lunged at Houndour, but the latter used Headbutt to block the attack, and then took his own revenge by using Quick Attack.

"Flamethrower!" Fire spewed forth, devouring Ampharos like a starving beast.

"Thunder Shock!" The flames exploded from the yellow pokemon as golden electricity. swam at Houndour. The attack injured my pokemon, weakening him. "Now, Thunder Punch!"

I narrowed my eyebrows, "Crunch!" Houndour sprinted at Ampharos while lightning built on its paw. The pokemon collided, ending with my fire-dark-type sinking his fangs into Ampharos, and then the electric-type punching him in the side and shocking him. There was something eerily familiar about this scene. Just then, thoughts of my battle with Surge came to mind. _How did I get the upper hand last…oh. _

An evil smile spread across my face. All I had to do was make Ampharos use _that _attack, and then I can repeat certain events.

"Beat Up!"

"Pound!"

Houndour charged at Ampharos, slid away from its attack as it did a belly-flop and hit the ground, and then began biting and scratching at it.

"Thunder Bolt!"

Lighting appeared above Houndour. He leapt out of the away, causing Ampharos to strike itself. The attack wasn't too effective, but it weakened it either way.

"Houndour, c'mere!" I waved my hand. The black and orange dog approached me, and I knelt down beside him. I cupped my hand over his ear, and quickly whispered my plan to him. Houndour nodded and then returned to the field.

Jasmine wore the expression of a very puzzled teenager.

_She has no idea what I'm planning. _Houndour activated Faint Attack, slowly turning invisible and creeping away. I crossed my arms over my chest, and glanced at Gary and Umbreon. He was scratching his head, curious about my strategy. Jasmine and Ampharos glanced back and forth, neither knowing where or when Houndour would strike. But I knew exactly what he was doing. Houndour wouldn't make a move until Jasmine orders a certain attack.

"Crap…" the brunette glared at me fiercely, "…fine, Ampharos, use Lightning Bolt on _that _spot!" she gestured towards the west. Her electric-type did as it was told, but it just struck the ground. _C'mon girl…do it! _

She stomped her foot, "That's it! Ampharos, use Shock Wave!" Jasmine watched as my smile grew even wider, and my eyes danced with joy as she ordered the attack. _Gotcha. _Her eyes widened as she realized that she was playing right into my hand. Ampharos released the powerful electric attack, covering the entire gym, save for where the rest of us were standing, in golden light. I closed my eyes to avoid going blind as lighting struck directly beside me, and waited until it was gone. When my eyes opened, I found smoke hovering around us. Houndour was nowhere in sight.

"Where the Hell did that mutt go!?" Jasmine barked, frantically searching for my pokemon.

My smile continue to annoy her, "Your about to find _real _soon."

As soon as I said that, the sun began shine into the windows more brightly then usually. Jasmine looked at them, curious as to what was going on. A pale yellow and white light shot from the ceiling and hit Ampharos point-blank, blinding all of us momentarily. When the smoke around the pokemon cleared, we saw that the electric-type was unconscious.

"B-but…how?" Jasmine looked up at the ceiling. To her surprise, there was Houndour. My fire-dark-type was using his claws to hang from one of the ceiling lights, glaring down at the fallen pokemon with a triumphant expression.

"Good boy, Houndour." I shouted. The dog dropped to the ground and returned to my side. I scratched his ear, praising him for his good work.

Jasmine stared at her pokemon for two minutes before recalling it. A bitter expression crossed her face, "An elaborate plan. Where'd you think of it?"

"Well," I might as well tell her why and how she lost, "Several months ago, I took part in the Indigo League, so I went around Kanto, collecting badges like I am now. So, as you can see, I didn't start Johto as a complete newbie. My third gym battle was with Lieutenant Surge, and he's infamous for his devastating electric techniques. I challenged him with my Charmander, and believe me, his Raichu was a pain in the ass. I came really close to losing, but then Charmander evolved in the middle of the battle, so his strength increased a lot. During the fight, Surge ordered Raichu to use Shock Wave. Charmeleon dodged the attack but clinging to the ceiling with his claws, and then dished out powerful moves to defeat Raichu.

"I decided to go with that example, only this time I would be the one in charge. I had Houndour use Faint Attack to turn invisible and then hide on that light until you lost your patience, and told Ampharos to use Shock Wave to cover the whole arena. And then, once the attack cleared, Houndour used his Solar Beam attack to finish your pokemon." I finished.

Her eyebrow twitched, "You manipulative little…heh…good job. I was underestimating you when your Pupitar beat my Magnemite. But now…I see your pretty serious, huh? Well, now I'm going to use my _strongest_ pokemon. Hope your ready."

She was about to toss a pokeball into the air, but then she paused and began starring at me. I looked at her strangely, "What?"

"Beside you."

I looked down, and found Houndour looking down at himself. There was a silver lining around his body. My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. White light enshrouded my pokemon, and he slowly began to grow in size. I backed away when he reached a height taller then my own. The light vanished a second later, revealing my pokemon's new body. The shorthaired wolf-like creature before me had fur as black as the night sky. Sharp, blood-red irises met my own. The helmet was replaced with long, grey horns that protruded from his head and curled towards his back. His snout was longer, and remained a brown-orange. Grey horns resembling a necklace added some flare to the area where his neck and shoulder blades connected. The same grey horns on his back and around his ankles remained. But now, my pokemon had a long, skinny tail with a sharp point on the back.

_Houndoom, the evolved form of Houndour. It is a dark-fire-type. The females have smaller horns then their male counterparts. They are very alert, intelligent, protective, and strong pokemon. They can be very aggressive in protecting what matters to them most. They are usually found in the woods. _

"Congrats, Houndoom." I stroked my pokemon's fur. He growled happy, wagging his long tail.

I recalled Houndoom, and waited for Jasmine to reveal her next pokemon. "Ready?"

"Yup." She said as she tossed the pokeball into the air.

My face mimicked what it had been during my very first gym battle. _Your kidding me. _A gigantic pokemon appeared before me. Its was a snake-like being, whose body was made of large boulders. Its head was flat this time, with the horns being on its cheeks and not the forehead. Sharp, crimson irises glared down at me. White teeth, some missing some there, were quite visible.

_Steelix, the evolved form of Onix. It is a steel-ground-type. They are rash and will handle any situation quite aggressively, similar to their original form. They live far underground in caves. _

This whole fight was going to be a major de'ja'vu for me. I grabbed my choice and tossed the pokeball into the air. Espeon appeared before me, ready to battle.

"Heh, that weak little pokemon's going to get trashed!" Jasmine shouted, "Steelix, Iron Tail!"

Steelix's tail began to glow pure white as it lifted it into the air, and brought it down on Espeon. The lavender pokemon dodged the attack, being faster then her slow opponent.

I told Espeon to dodge its attacks until further notice, my eyes searching the ceiling. I found what I was searching for immediately. "Espeon, use Swift on that!" I gestured towards it. She nodded, and allowed the golden stars to fly upwards.

Jasmine watched as they hit the target, setting off the sprinklers. Water pelted Steelix, and I could already see it weakening. It was part ground-type, so this was going to work. "Now, Last Resort!" Slowly, Espeon transformed into the fearsome beast, and lunged at Steelix.

"Crunch!" Jasmine ordered.

Espeon hopped over the beast's fangs, and then pummeled its head into the ground with her attack.

"Now Psychic!" A powerful beam of energy shot downwards, adding even more injury to the less intelligent pokemon.

"Iron Tail!" Steelix's tail swatted Espeon, sending her soaring across the room. She hit the wall, a sickening sound entered my ears as she did, and then fell to the floor. The lavender feline got to her feet, hissed at Steelix, used a Quick Attack on it. That wasn't as effective as I wished it had been.

"Use Last Resort and then Psychic!" Espeon transformed again and charged at Steelix, hitting it in the face, and then blasting it. Steelix twitched, but then hit the ground.

Jasmine's jaw dropped, disbelief clear on her face.

"Surprised? Espeon and I have been through a lot together. She's one of my strongest pokemon." I announced proudly. The lavender psychic-type rushed up to me and tackled me, licking my face. I stroked her fur and got back to my feet, congratulating her for her victory.

Jasmine sighed and recalled her Steelix. She crossed the arena, her hand digging around in her pocket. She held her palm out to me, smiling softly. "You won, right? So here it is."

It was just a silver and blue badge, nothing too special. I placed it in the case with others, and then hid it in my pocket. "Thanks, Jasmine. Good show."

"You too. Now get those last three badges already," Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest, smiling, "I've been beaten by three trainers from Pallet…you guys are strong."

"Three?" I asked, curious.

She nodded, "You, that guy behind you, and then a kid named Ash Ketchum," she turned and began walking away, "See'ya."

I waved goodbye to her, recalled Espeon into her pokeball, and then followed Gary and Umbreon back into the city…

**End of this chapter. Hope you liked Jasmine and Bella's gym battle. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	40. Chapter 40

**Thank-you for reviewing. And ****shadow-dog18****, I'm actually considering doing that. It does sound like it would be cute. But for now, here is a very critical chapter. You will see why this chapter is so important to Bella specifically. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 39: Operation **

"_Here is the test to find out _

_whether your mission on Earth is finished:_

_if your alive, it isn't._"

-Richard Bach

Another sneeze filled the air. I sighed and rubbed at my nose, my body still trembling. The sounds of singing birds filled my ears. The sun was shining above us. Beautiful forests surrounded us. And yet here I was, feeling completely miserable. My body ached in ways that it shouldn't, my nose was stuffed, I kept sneezing and coughing every five minutes, and my brow was covered in sweat.

"Uh, Bella, are you feeling okay?" Gary was walking beside me, looking at me curiously.

I forced a smile and gave him a sideways glance, "Yeah…just-ah, ah, ah…!" I sneezed again, and then began coughing and wheezing like a little old lady. _I feel horrible. _Horrible couldn't describe what I was feeling accurately enough.

After my battle with Jasmine, Gary and I headed to the Pokemon Center. There, we waited until the next day to go to the Pokemart and begin our journey to Cianwood City. It has been two weeks since then. After days of battling powerful trainers, we realized that we made a wrong turn, and now we were heading in the right direction. But just recently, I started feeling ill. I was sure that I was afflicted with that godforsaken flu.

"Are you sure? You look like crap." _No kidding, idiot. _I decided to remain silent.

Gary and Umbreon stopped, causing me to do the same. "Mt. Quena? Hmm…they call this Purity Mountain for some reason. Huh." He continued on.

I was about to follow, but then my legs gave way, and I fell forward. Gary turned to face me, and quickly joined my side. My breathing was ragged, and I desperately needed a nap. "Bella! What's wrong?" he placed a palm on my forehead. "Oh my God, your burning up!"

"S-sorry…" I whispered, feeling guilty for making him worry.

His eyebrows knitted together, "There's no way you'll make it to Cianwood City in this condition," Umbreon approached us, and helped Gary slid me onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, so that he could carry me easier. "C'mon. There she be a station or something here."

I nodded weakly as he began walking with Umbreon at his side.

Gary continued along the road, his eyes carefully searching the area for any signs of civilization. He stopped as he neared a hill, seeing as a small station near the dirt road below us.

"Look down there, a station," he whispered, "now I'll just find out where the nearest…huh?" I noticed it too. Without so much as a warning, the clouds darkened and rain began to pelt the both of us. He looked up at the sky with a strange look on his face, shrugged, and sprinted down the steep hill. Umbreon ran after us.

I could tell that he was having trouble descending the hill and carrying me at the same time, and he almost slipped a few times. But Gary managed to reach the bottom, and he quickly ran across the road and to the station. The station was a small, wooden building on the side of the road. He knocked on the door, and waited for someone to answer. A second later, the door flew open.

A woman in her late twenties was standing in front of us. Her long, teal colored hair was tied back. Sky-blue eyes gazed down at us, seeing as the floor was a higher level then the ground. She was wearing what appeared to be a long raincoat. Glasses aided her impaired vision.

"Hm? Oh, I guess your more passengers," The woman said, "I'm sorry, but the bus already left.

Gary shook his head, "No! My friend here is really sick, and I need to get her somewhere!"

"Then you came to the right place," the woman glanced over Gary and at me, "We're going to my cottage, so please follow me," she paused, "My name is Luna Carson, by the way."

The brunette nodded, "Gary Oak and Bella Vanielle." He said quickly, stepping out of the woman's way.

Luna glanced inside the station, "Alright, come on!"

The sound of footsteps sounded from within the station before a familiar group stepped into the rain. Gary cocked an eyebrow, "You again, Ash?"

Ash was surprised to see him as well, "Gary? Where'd you come from?"

"Olivine City." He replied flatly.

Ash crossed his arms over his chest, "Same," there was a pause, "What happened to Bella?"

"She's really sick." I heard Gary say. I could feel that he was walking again. _I feel…horrible…ugh… _slowly, my eyes closed until I completely lost consciousness…

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I found it strange that I ran into my rival so quickly. But I guess that was going to be expected, seeing as we weren't that far apart from each other. I began walking up the wet, dirt path, carrying Bella on my back. Judging from her breathing, I would say that she fell asleep. I could see fresh tracks that had been made by some kind of vehicle.

Luna quickly led us up the path, and then cut off to a set of wooden stairs. I followed her up the stairs, deeper into the forest, and straight to her house. Her home was two-story, and completely made of wood. I followed her onto the porch. She unlocked the door, and then let us in first. Someone flipped the light switched while I immediately rushed to her couch, and Brock helped me carefully lay Bella down.

Luna ran through her living room and into the kitchen. I heard a drawer open and close, then running water. She quickly ran back into her living room, and knelt beside Bella. She placed a cold, wet rag on her forehead.

"She's burning up." Luna said, a worried expression on her face.

I sighed and scratched the back of my head. _Uh yeah, no kidding. _How could I have not noticed it earlier? Bella must have had the flu. I remember the last time she caught it. The poor girl was bedridden for twenty-four hours straight.

"Just stay here until her condition improves, alright?" Luna rose to her feet and sat at her kitchen table. The kitchen and the living room seemed to be the same.

"So what about that bus thing?" Ash asked, his eyes glued to the window.

The teal-haired woman looked at him, a soft smile on her face, "The company that run the buses built this lodge ten years ago. Its for people who miss the bus," she got up and headed into her kitchen. I could hear her doing a multitude of things in there. I huffed and sat at the table with Brock and Misty, deciding that there was not much else to do. "people stay here for at least a month."

"But we can't stay here for a month!" Ash insisted, a determined look on his face.

I nodded my head in agreement, "All of us are going to Cianwood City, so we need to get through this place soon."

"Isn't there any other way?" The raven-haired teen looked desperate.

"Well, there is a place near the end of Purity River. So if your looking to get to Cianwood City, then you came to the right place," she winked at us, "but first, I want to show you something."

Luna headed to her back door. I reluctantly followed her, with Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Togepi right behind us.

The sky cleared quickly. There was a waterfall near her house, and it branched off as a river. The porch hovered several feet above the river. The eldest female crossed her porch and pressed a button. I watched a sit slowly lowered down into the water. She pressed another button, and then it came back up. The woman dipped a cup that was on the table on her porch, and then scooped some water into it. She turned towards us, and handed it to Brock. "Taste it."

He did, and then a dreamy smile came over his face, "This water is absolutely delicious! This is the most devastatingly delicious drink I've ever encountered!"

I looked at him strangely. _Uh, its water. Water doesn't have any taste. _"Let me try," Misty took it from him, and sipped some of the water. Her face changed so that it matched his perfectly, "It makes me feel refreshed, alive and tingly!"

Okay, now I was curious. I took the water from the redhead and sipped it. It was amazing! I never tasted anything so good, so wonderful. It was freezing cold, and the water was so clear. It practically sparkled. I was sure that my face matched the other two. "This is wonderful!"

Ash wore the expression of an extremely baffled human being, "How good can water be?"

"Here," Misty took it from me and then handed it to Ash, "take a taste for yourself."

Ash shrugged and sipped from the cup. One of his eyebrows rose, "Tastes like something has been swimming in it." _Ash has no sense of taste whatsoever. _

"That's because you have no taste!" Brock and Misty shouted in unison. The girl took the cup from him, and then handed it to Pikachu. The little yellow rodent had the same reaction as the rest of us. Togepi tried it, and joined Pikachu in its blissful little world.

"Hmm…" I took the cup from the pokemon and quickly scooped more water into it, "…be right back!" I ran inside of the cottage and straight to Bella's side. I knelt down beside her, and poked her.

Her eyes opened, eyebrows furrowed, "Huh…?"

"I want you try this." Her jaw fell slack, and I carefully poured some of the water into her mouth. She laid there for a second, and then smiled.

"This tastes really good…" her voice was weak.

I smiled, "Yeah. Purity River is amazing! You should see it when you get better. Now, get some more sleep." I rose to my feet and returned to the others.

"Hey Gary, we're going to ride on the river. Wanna come?" Misty was smiling at me.

I shook my head, "No. I'm going to stay here and help Luna look after Bella."

"Okay," she turned to the others, "Let's go," but then paused and turned to me, "Tell Bella that I said 'get well'."

"I will." The trio re-entered the house, and followed Luna as she led them out of the cottage and down a trail. I went back to the living room, and sat in the chair beside the sleeping Bella. _C'mon Bells…get better soon…_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_The cool air created by an air-conditioner surrounded me. Scientists in crisp white lab coats busily walked by from computer to computer. Each screen had a different image. One was of four heartbeats. The other revolved around four brain-wave functions. My small hand was being held by a larger one; I looked up and found it to be the hand of my father. He was younger than the last time I laid eyes on him. Short, brown hair that was not streaked with grey; I could see flecks of grey, though. His face lacked any wrinkle, and the bags that used to haunt his expression were non-existent. He was dressed in a strange black uniform. It took me a second to realize what he was wearing. _

_My father wore a black, sleeveless shirt with a bright red 'R' on the front. A long-sleeved white shirt was underneath. He wore gray gloves, and a gray belt that had three pokeballs on it. Black pants covered his legs, along with gray boots. My father was an elite member of Team Rocket. _

"_Bella," his voice scared me. He looked down at me and smiled softly, "Bella, I need you to go talk to him again." _

"_The scary man?" I replied without thinking. It was as if my mouth had moved on its own. _

_He shook his head, and I instantly felt relieved for some reason, "No. I want you to go talk to your friends." _

_I seemed to realize who he spoke of, and nodded my head in agreement. My father led me towards a set of five tanks that were filled with dark orange liquid. Inside one tank was a glowing ball of light. The next tank held a sleeping Squirtle, but it was different from any other; dark blue strips decorated its head. _

_A sleeping Bulbasaur was in the next; it had dark green strips. A sleeping Charmander floated without care; it had dark red strips. Then there was the last. A strange, never-before-seen pokemon lived inside of it. It was curled in a tiny ball, sleeping the days away. Or that's how it appeared. I could feel my mind shake and wriggle around as it slowly began to shove my will outwards. Mentally, I could actually feel my mind enter the strange pokemon…_

_It was like diving into the deep dephs of the sea. My eyes opened, and I found myself hovering in the darkness. A little girl was hovering in front of me. She was probably around six, only two years younger than myself. She wore a long-sleeved, white nightgown and socks. Thick, medium length hair covered her head. Her appeared to be a bluish color, which matched her eyes. Beside her hovered the odd looking, yet awake, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. I turned to the one that hovered beside me. _

_It looked so much like the friend that I had lost when I was younger. Yet so different at the same time. It was the same size as a six-year-old human child, and had childish features, revealing its true age. Only it had the features of a pokemon, too. Its body was a pale lavender, almost completely white. It had curious dark purple irises; two horns jutted out of its skull. Its stomach was a dark purple, as was its long tail. It had three fingers on its human-like hands, and three twos on its feet. It has human features, but most of its physical traits were cat-like._

_The purple pokemon looked at me and smiled, "Hi, Bella." _

_I smiled back, without even knowing why, "Hey, Mewtwo," I replied, "How 'ya do'in?" _

"_Fine," Mewtwo replied. He had the voice of a young boy, a human male child. "Did the scary man yell at you again?"_

_I shook my head, "Nope. He just told me to do what I do best and talk to you," I turned towards the girl, whose name just randomly appeared in my head. I suddenly knew her, "What're we doing today, Amber?" _

_She smiled, "We're giving little Mewtwo here another lesson what the real world looks like," She replied. The scenery changed into what appeared to be a happy little neighborhood. It was in black and white. She gestured to it for Mewtwo to see, "This is where I used to live." _

"_Really?" Mewtwo asked. Suddenly, the sun appeared and brightened the neighborhood. "What's that?" he asked. _

_I laughed, "That's the sun, silly."_

"_Yeah," Amber agreed, "Its keeps us all warm and brings light during the day." _

_Mewtwo reached up, as if he could touch the golden orb. Wind blew by, scaring him. "What was that?" he asked curiously. Mewtwo spoke telepathically, so his mouth did not move. _

"_That's the wind," Amber explained, "Sometimes its soft and sometimes its really strong." _

_The scenery changed again so that there was a sunset instead. I gestured towards the sun, "That's a sunset. That's when the sun goes to bed." I said in the voice of a little girl. _

_Then the moon appeared, "Is that a sun?" Mewtwo asked curiously. _

_Amber giggled, "No. It's the moon. It gives us light so we won't be lost in the dark." Mewtwo gazed at it curiously. _

_But then I noticed that Charmander was beginning to fade away. I gasped in horror as soon Squirtle and Bulbasaur followed. "No!" I cried. I turned to Amber and Mewtwo, "They're gone…Amber?" Her body began to shimmer like they had. "Amber?" _

_She smiled at us softly, "Amber?" Mewtwo asked. _

"_I think…its time for me to go," she said sadly._

"_Why?" Mewtwo asked. _

_Tears began to slide down my cheeks. I reached out for her, "Amber…please…don't go." I sobbed the last part. Tears slid down Mewtwo's cheeks. _

"_Never forget, Mewtwo, that life is wonderful. And those are called tears. Your crying. My Daddy says that when pokemon are sad, their tears are filled with life," Amber explained, "Good-bye, Mewtwo…Bella…remember…life is wonderful…" _

_Amber vanished, as did the neighborhood. Then everything changed. I was seeing the scene from a Third Person point of view. I could see a younger version of myself hovering beside Mewtwo, holding onto his hand. She was sobbing with him. Suddenly, she too began to disappear. "Mewtwo…my Daddy wants me to leave. I'm sorry…I'll come back again." She hugged him, and then younger Bella vanished. _

"_Bella!" Mewtwo called. Tears continued to fall from his eyes, "Amber!" His body trembled angrily, "These tears…what good are they…?" He looked upwards into the sky, "Bella! Amber! Come back! Don't go, please!" He sobbed. And then there was darkness…_

_I was hovering in the darkness, curled in a ball. It was cold. A familiar feeling of diving in the ocean surrounded me. I could hear a voice. _

"_This place…these voices…where am I…?" _

_It was a deep voice, like an adult man speaking. My eyes opened slightly. I could see a familiar being hovering across from me. "Its you again. What are you doing here?" _

_I shrugged, "I don't know. Who're you?"_

"_That is none of your concern. Leave immediately!" the lavender colored creature ordered. _

"_Why? Maybe I want to hover in the airless vacuum of space!" I knew how stupid I sounded, but why was this thing trying to order me around? I watched in amazement as letters written blue appeared before me._

_Daddy…why…?_

_Why were you making me work with that man…?_

_Why…? _

_Why did you leave us…?_

_Why did you abandon us…?_

_WHY!? _

_ANSWER ME!!!_

_The letters vanished, and the creature's purple eyes locked with mine. "So…you too feel inner turmoil?" _

_Did he just read my thoughts? I looked at him suspiciously, "Of course. Everyone does," I bit my lower lip, "Who…are you…?"_

"_I cannot tell you. For the sake of my species," he almost sounded sad, "I wish for you to leave as soon as possible. Then, we may live in peace."_

_Slowly, I began to feel lightheaded, and soon, I lost consciousness… _

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Pain throbbed in my skull. I groaned, and slowly sat up. Something cool and wet fell onto my lap. My eyes fluttered open, allowing me to see my surroundings. I was sitting on a couch, in the middle of someone's living room. Gary was sitting in a chair nearby, and then Ash, Misty, Brock, Umbreon, and Pikachu were in here. A strange woman was in the room, too.

"Uh…where am I?" I blinked, confused.

Gary turned his attention to me, a relieved expression on his face, "Bella, your awake," He rose to his feet and rushed to my side, kneeling beside me, "How're you feeling?"

I pressed my palm against my forehead. _We are not of this world…we do not belong in it. But where do we belong? _

_What are you talking about?_

But there was no reply. I shook my head, "Yeah…fine…I just have a killer headache."

"Here, I've got some Tylenol for that." Luna went to her kitchen. There was the sound of a cabinet opening and closing, and then running water. She returned with a pill and a glass of water.

"Thank-you." I swallowed the pill and took a long drink. _If we see the moon as they do, why can we not see the Earth as they do? _Those strange thoughts were confusing me.

I jumped when someone banged on the front door. "Good morning!" Luna opened the door, and then stepped aside.

"Hey. I would've said good night but then you might go to bed." a cheerful voice could be heard.

Luan cocked her head to the side, "Huh?"

"We hate to bother you," a male voice said, "we've been doing some exploring, and we need a place to stay for the night. By the way, my name is Cullen Calix."

Luna gasped in surprise, "I know that name! You're the famous researcher in our latest medical studies."

"Yes. And if my guess is correct, your Luna Carson. I've read _dozens _of your research papers on pokemon! It's a pleasure to meet you in person."

She stepped out of the way, "Please, come in."

I watched as two strangers entered the cottage. One was a man in his mid twenties. He had short, black hair and dark brown irises. His skin was heavily tanned, and he had a little stubble on his face. He wore a brown jacket, white shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown boots. He was carrying a pack, too.

Beside him was a girl who appeared to be around the same age as me. She had medium length blonde hair, tied into two swirly pigtails. Bright, dark blue irises gazed around the room. She wore a purple and white cap, with a bright pink hoodie, green pants, and red and white shoes. A purple pack was occupying her back.

"Research papers?" Ash asked, a curious expression on his face.

The blonde girl was busy looking around the room while Luna revealed that working for the bus company is her part-time job. Her real job is working as a pokemon researcher. I felt very uncomfortable for some reason. I found the source, which involved that blonde girl, starring at me. She crossed the room and stood directly in front of me.

"Hm? Who're you?" she asked in a sweet voice.

I smiled weakly, "My name is Bella Vanielle," I scooted away from her, "Please don't get too close, I have the flu."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," She patted the top of my head, "I hope you feel better soon."

"So…" Gary began, but the blonde turned away, completely ignoring him.

She walked up to Luna, and smiled, "Wow! I can't believe I'm meeting _the _Luna Carson! I'm, like, an off the hook fan of yours. I wanna be _just _like you when I get old!" That sounded more like an insult then a compliment.

"Uh…great?" She looked a little disturbed.

Gary sat beside me, glaring at them, "That was rude. She completely ignored me."

"You can't have attention all the time, Gary." I picked the washrag up and placed it on the coffee table in front of me.

"This is Domino," I heard the man say, "she works for the pokemon institute."

Right on cue. As soon as Brock heard her name, he scampered up to her and asked her out. Misty kicked him in the back and pulled him away from her. I sighed and shook my head. _That guys a danger to us all. _

Domino took his advance in stride, deciding to ignore him. "I'm sorry, but the bus won't be back for another month." Luna told the newcomers.

"Oh, I didn't come here to take the bus," Cullen said, "I came to study the water."

I sighed and laid down on the couch, not particularly interested in their conversation. I hated being sick. It was horrible! When I'm hit with the flu, I'm hit hard. I felt bad for being the cause of our detour, but there was nothing I could do. Its not like I chose to be sick. And why was that blonde girl starring at me? And that dream…it was so weird. Yet so familiar. I wondered where I had it before. Everything was calm, until the sound of firecrackers filled the air. I shrieked and looked towards the back door. My eyebrow twitched when I saw who it was.

Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket were there. The woman was standing while the man was kneeling, one holding a rose.

"It was hard, but we're prepared for trouble." Jessie announced.

"We scaled that mountain on the double." James added.

_Oh dear God…I don't have enough patience for this! _I grabbed my shoe, which was lying on the floor beside the couch, and chucked it at them. It hit James square in the face, and then fell to the floor.

"Ow! What was that for, you little twerp!?" his whining was so annoying.

I glared at them dangerously, "I'm sick with the flu right now, alright? So my patience is wearing _very _thin. Go. Away."

"You could at least let us finish our motto." Meowth grumbled.

I grabbed the other shoe and held it threateningly, "No. Now tell us what you want then jump off a cliff, okay?"

"We're here for Pikachu, of course." The purple-haired woman laughed.

Gary looked at her as if she were an idiot, "Just go to Viridian Forest in Kanto, they're a;; over the place."

"Not Pikachu like _that _one!" she pointed at Ash's Pikachu. Of course, they were after his pokemon.

"You should give up already. You're never going to get Pikachu." Ash placed his hands on his hips, eyebrows furrowed.

James held up a long wire, "Oh yeah? Watch this!" He threw it like a whip, and managed to yank Pikachu right off of the teen's shoulders.

"Hey!" the raven-haired boy cried.

Jessie laughed, "Better conserve your energy. This wire will absorb all of Pikachu's electric attacks." The rodent still fought to shock them, despite that fact that it wasn't working.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of the pokeballs on the coffee table. Someone took them from me, and I wasn't sure who. I tapped it, allowing Quilava to roam freely.

"Okay, either you give Pikachu back or my buddy here burns you. Your pick." I waited for an answer.

James glanced down at the pokemon on their team, "Uh Meowth, the balloon!" The feline pressed a button on the little controller he was holding, causing that dorky balloon they had to rise up from below.

"I'll just burst that thing!" I shouted. "I bet Ash has done it before."

She smirked, "He may have done it before, but not anymore!" She spread her arms apart, allowing us to see that the balloon was equipped with rockets now. "Now we have the rockets and the team."

"You can't go," Cullen shouted before I could say anything, "the air currents in the valley are unpredictable, and if you launch that rocket, there's a good chance we'll never see you again."

_If it weren't for the fact that they have Pikachu, I would say 'thank God'. But they have it, so we do need to see them again…unfortunately. _Jessie made a dreamy expression and clapped her hands together, "Finally, a man with brains and ruggedly attractive stubble cares about me passionately! What could this strange sensation be? It must be love! But, our love can never be…"

I blocked the rest of what she was saying out. That woman was nuts, and she was starting to get on my nerves.

I rose to my feet, my legs shaking a little, and pointed at the balloon, "Alright Quilava, use Flamethrower."

As soon as he released the attack, Jessie pressed the button and they took off towards the sky. We headed to the porch, seeing that the clouds were beginning to stir.

"The weather is getting worse," Luna groaned, "taking off like that was careless and reckless!"

Domino sighed, "Not to mention brainless." She deadpanned.

"We have to do something for Pikachu!" I could tell that Ash was determined to save his pokemon.

Luna smirked, "Well, I know Mount Quena really well. I'll show you a good way to reach them," She ran inside and then returned with a ton of rope. "Come on!"

"Bella," I was following them to the front door, but then stopped when Gary said my name. I turned to face him. "Your sick, so you should stay here."

"No way! Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I'm an invalid," his concern was making me smile, "I'll be fine. Come on Quilava!" My pokemon followed as me as I ran after the group, with Gary and Umbreon right behind me.

We followed Luna as she led us towards a path that would allow us to climb up the steep mountainside. We each tied a rope around ourselves, so that we were all attached to one another. Then, we began our slow ascent up the rough mountain. The wind swirled around us viciously, determined to deter us from our path. A boulder fell, and I heard Cullen shout Domino's name. When I turned around, I saw that they were both fine. I watched as the balloon soared back and forth, up and down, to and fro. The wind continued to pick up, and soon we were using the rope to climb up the mountain. Just then, the balloon flew right passed us.

"Team Rocket!" Ash shouted, but they probably couldn't hear him.

Gary's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, "They're coming right his way!" He shouted. Immediately, the balloon caught the rope above us, and tore all of us away from the mountains. I screamed in fear, then quickly recalled Quilava before we left him behind. Gary did the same for his Umbreon.

The balloon soared higher towards the mountain, before the wind finally ceased.

After rising higher and higher, I saw a beautiful forest, a wondrous lake, and a small island in the center.

_Those children again! Could this be an accident? Or something…more? _My head throbbed with pain. I winced, and shook it. _What is that voice in my head? _I reached for the rim of the basket that the balloon carried, and slowly pulled myself up. I was about to climb in when someone stepped on my head and landed in the basket for me.

"Hey!" I shouted. I saw that it was Domino.

Domino pulled a walkie-talkie out of her pocket, and then radioed someone, "Send the Team Rocket Combat Unit, _now!_"

"Team Rocket…?" I asked, and then my eyebrows narrowed, "…You're a member of Team Rocket!"

Cullen climbed up so that he was right beside me, starring at the girl in disbelief, "Domino? What're you doing?"

"Your name is Domino?" James asked.

She shook her head, "That's not my real name, I keep that to myself. However, my other identity within Team Rocket is double-O Nine, Domino. But my adversaries refer to me as the Black Tulip." She did a back flip on the rim of the basket, and pulled a black tulip out of her pocket.

"Black tulip? But you said you work for the Pokemon Institute!" He sounded as though he felt betrayed, and I couldn't blame him.

"It was a façade," I grumbled. I glared at her viciously, "What do you idiots want now!?"

The blonde smirked down at me, "Miss Vanielle I presume? The boss would appreciate it if you come over to our side, please."

"No way!" So they still wanted me. But why? What did I have that they needed so badly? This was starting to annoy me.

"Why? You'd make so much money if you joined Team Rocket." She said as if it were obvious.

"Sorry, but dominating the world isn't on my to-do list." I wanted to push her out of the balloon.

She rolled her eyes, "So stubborn. Well, the task force will come to pick you up after we obtain our other target, so sit back and relax," Domino fell so that she was hanging by her feet, "Here's a souvenir." She tossed the tip of the tulip at the balloon, and burst a hole in it. Domino hopped off and made use of her jetpack to avoid plummeting to her death.

We all screamed as the balloon went out of control, and began flying rapidly in circles.

Due to the pressure, I let go, causing everyone excluding Team Rocket to plummet into the water below…

**And I'm cutting off here. So ends this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	41. Chapter 41

**And now for the continuation of the last chapter. And don't worry, that special chapter will appear before this story is over. Like I said, this is a very crucial battle for Bella, seeing as it involves past battles. Thank-you for reviewing, and without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 40: Reason to Exist **

"_Millions long for immortality who don't know_

_What to do with themselves on a _

_Sunday afternoon._"

-Susan Ertz

Gary, Cullen, Luna, Ash, Misty, Brock, Togepi, and I all plummeted to the lake below after I released the edge of the basket. I tried to cry out, but water entered my lungs, and I frantically tried to make my way to the surface. A pair of arms wrapped around me, and began dragging me upwards. I took a deep breath, and looked at my savior. It was Gary.

"T-thanks." I took another gulp of fresh air.

He nodded, his hair soaked by the water, "No prob."

"Come on!" Luna shouted to everyone, "Swim to the bank!"

There was no need to repeat herself. We all immediately began swimming towards the bank. The flu was pounding away at my stamina, causing me to slow compared to the others. Gary helped me along when he noticed that I was beginning to lag, and soon we made it to the land.

"Everybody okay?" Brock asked, glancing around at us.

"Yeah, and so is Togepi." Misty replied.

Ash sighed in frustration, "I won't be. Not until I get Pikachu back." I had to give him credit. Ash has always loved his pokemon. It must have been hard to lose the rodent.

"Looks like Team Rockets balloon landed over there." Cullen muttered. Ash began heading into the water, prepared to swim over there.

Luna noticed him, and decided to stop him from doing anything stupid, "Hey, look at that log over there," We all followed her finger, and looked at the trees. There were fallen tree trunks, plenty of them. "We cane carve those into a canoe."

"Great idea!" Ash called out his Bayleef and his Bulbasaur, and immediately put them to work. I called on Espeon so that she could use her telekinesis to lift and sort through the trunks for them.

While they were busy, I activated my Pokégear, and immediately dialed home. After two rings, Mom picked the phone up. "Mom," I whispered, "Its me, Bella."

"_Hm? Oh, hi Bella. How've you been? Are you calling me from your Pokégear?_" She sounded a little groggy, like she had been sleeping.

"Yeah. Listen, can you send Charizard to Mount Quena in Johto? I need him right away." I was going to lie to her, so that she wasn't worried.

There was a pregnant pause. "_I see…Team Rocket, is it?_"

"Huh?" I was amazed that she knew, "How'd you know?"

"_Because I know about your father's stupidity. Yes, I'll send Charizard there right now. Please be careful._"

"Don't worry, I will." I hung up, and placed my Pokégear in my pocket.

By the time I was finished with my phone call, the canoe was ready to sail. We all climbed inside, and Cullen and Gary helped us push off and into the lake.

The brunette sat beside me, his eyes on me. I was starring at my lap. "Bella…are you sure you want to get involved again?"

"Yeah," I whispered, "I'm ready to end this crap once and for all." We moved across the crystal clear water, determined to reach our destination. I gazed up at the sky, seeing the combat sky soaring high in the air. Giovanni was probably with them. Our boat eventually entered a cave. Upon reaching land, we found a set of stone stairs. I followed the others as they sprinted upwards, heading straight into…

I gasped when we found another level. It was a beautiful, crystal clear water. Green grass covered the ground, with dirt paths for others to wander. Wild pokemon wandered around, all of them healthy and clean. The baby pokemon were playing, while the parents watched over them. Cullen was going on about how this was a medical discovery, but then Luna reminded him that this was place so pure because it was untouched by humans. That made sense. We decided to leave this radiant place, just so that the parents wouldn't become nervous. We continued sprinting through the cave, desperately searching for Pikachu. Eventually, we came across a certain someone.

A certain Rocket, Domino, was standing on the stairs, smirking down at us. Now she was wearing a pink and white hat, like before. But the rest of her outfit was different. She wore a black, medium-sleeved shirt with a red 'R' on the front. She wore white gloves, and a white skirt to match. White boots acted as her footwear.

"Stand down!" one of the male Rockets behind her shouted. We stopped immediately. I was tempted to call on one of my pokemon, but I noticed that no-one else was making a move.

Waiting was going to be key.

Reluctantly, we did as we were told, and allowed the Rockets to lead us out of the cave and back to the lush and beautiful lake.

Domino walked up to a baby Nidoran, and embraced her, "Aren't they simply adorable!"

"They're just babies, leave them alone!" Luna cried, worry evident in her eyes.

On cue, two of the adult pokemon lunged at the her. She smiled as she tossed a black tulip. It hit the ground, and then created an electric current that paralyzed the two of them. Both pokemon fell to the ground.

"Stop it!" Ash barked, anger evident in his eyes.

Gary stepped forward, clenching his fists, "Leave them alone you heinous…"

"Shut-up!" the blonde barked angrily. "Hmph…most trainers catch them with pokeballs, but I prefer _our_ method," she turned to one of the grunts, "Make sure not a single one gets away. These pokemon are just experiments, so why waste pokeballs? Follow me." The grunts and their leader, Domino, began dragging us toward another cavern.

Eventually, they brought us to a jail cell. There, Domino taunted Jessie and James, who were in there for some unknown reason. She threw Gary, Ash, Brock, Misty, Cullen, Togepi, and Luna in the jail, but then had two grunts drag me with her back to the lake.

"Let me go!" I shouted, struggling against them. The lake began to spin when I grew dizzy, my fever getting to me. I started coughing again, calming after a minute.

Domino pulled a radio out of her pocket, "Giovanni, we have the clones captured. Some of the pokemon are normal, but they belong to just a few young trainers. We have Vanielle, too. Over," There was an uncomfortable pause, "Roger, we're…uh!"

Powerful wind blinded us all for a minute, before subsiding. When I opened my eyes, I saw a very familiar pokemon. It was the same height as a male, human adult. The pokemon sharp, mature features, revealing its true age. Only it had the features of a pokemon, too. Its body was a pale lavender, almost completely white. It had curious dark purple irises; two horns jutted out of its skull. Its stomach was a dark purple, as was its long tail. It had three fingers on its human-like hands, and three twos on its feet. Most of its physical traits were cat-like. Behind it stood a group of normal pokemon.

The lavender colored pokemon locked eyes with me. "_So we meet again?_" Its voice was deep, and seemed to be male. It took me a second to realize that it was speaking telepathically.

"I…don't know you." Honestly, I had no idea who this pokemon was. But I must have met it before, seeing as I had a dream about it, and I even drew a picture of it in my sketch book.

"_Maybe this will help you._"

Without warning, an image of myself popped into my head. Only this time, I was standing near a lake in a wide open field. My hair was shorter, and I was wearing the outfit I usually made use of when I traveled through Kanto. I was being challenged by a trainer, and all of my companions were the pokemon I had during the Indigo League. I defeated the trainer, and then a mysterious Dragonite appeared, and gave me an invitation. An invitation to meet the world' greatest pokemon master. I accepted it, and then went to the nearest port. But there was a deadly storm, and I was forced to ride Dewgong to the appointed destination and not a boat. Ash and his friends braved the storm too, and we all came to this creepy tower. There, I met the lavender pokemon. Its name is Mewtwo. I battled its cloned Charizard, only to lose. Then he cloned all of our pokemon, and I aided Ash in saving the real ones after the clones were made. And then a battle broke out, and…I nearly died. I almost died trying to help Ash stop the fighting.

My head throbbed after seeing all of those images. I tore my arm from one of the grunts, and pressed my palm to my forehead.

"_Remember it now?_" Mewtwo asked.

Mewtwo is connected to Team Rocket. The reason they need him, has something to do with my psychic powers.

Dominic threw her head back and laughed, "Aw, such a cute little reunion. Say hello to your new trainer, Mewtwo. And _I _get to keep this baby Nidoran." She stroked its head.

He glared at her, "_Release that young one!_" Just then, a black helicopter flew over it. It slowly landed on the water. I ran away from the grunts, and joined Mewtwo's side.

"Get ready." I whispered. Now I had a new ally, or at least I hoped I did. I prepared to call on Espeon and Quilava. _Charizard…hurry. _

A platform rose from within the helicopter, and there stood Giovanni and his Persian. He was wearing a bright orange suit, and his brown hair was slicked back.

"It is nice to see the both of you again," he was wearing an arrogant smile, "Are you willing to obey my commands now?"

I looked at him as if he were some strange species of insect, "Uh, no. I have better things to do then listen to creepy old men that stalk kids and pokemon all day."

"_And I would sooner leave this world then serve you._" I liked Mewtwo's response.

"You should reconsider your opinions. If you both defy me, then those clones shall be used as our experiments and will certainly leave this world."

This angered Mewtwo. I wasn't too happy about the old man's decision, either. Two machines lowered from the air. One was black the other red. I had no idea what he planned to use them for. The clones tried to stand up, but Mewtwo ordered them to stand down.

"_I must submit to him._" He stated firmly.

I looked at him in disbelief, "You can't be serious!"

"_If I don't, my fellows will be in danger. Please, reconsider your decision._" The two machines turned towards each other. Black electricity danced between, creating a sky-blue ball.

"This is created to harness your abilities, nothing more. Go on, Mewtwo," The clones cried out in protest as Mewtwo made his way towards the light. I watched in horror as Mewtwo stepped inside, and then was slowly lifted into the air. "Now you won't be able to runaway from me again."

"_You may control my body, but you will never control my will!_" At least he wasn't giving up completely. That was a plus. The ball turned a deep crimson, and began electrocuting him. "_I will not, submit!_"

"Let's see how long you struggle." Giovanni grinned, the thought of a future show amusing him.

My eyebrows knitted together. Anger coursed through my mind. I could feel a familiar power surging through my body, and I realized that my telekinesis was activating. "Giovanni…you bastard!" I ground out through my teeth. I was ready to throttle him with my bare hands if need be.

He looked down at me, "Ah, so nice of you to join us just when our operation was to begin. Are you going to follow Mewtwo's example?"

"Hell no!" I snarled. I decided that it was time to rage at the man, "Why won't you leave me alone!? I have nothing to do with your stupid project anymore, so _go away!_ Go bother my dad, and leave the pokemon out of this!" I didn't expect him to listen, but I was worth a try.

"Your father?" he chuckled, "I'm sorry, but your father is already dead."

That stopped me immediately. The words 'your father' and 'dead' repeated over and over in my mind. I looked at him strangely, disbelief showing my eyes, "W-wha…huh?" My voice sounded like a weak, high-pitched whine.

"Several months ago, I tracked your father down in Sinnoh, and he was assassinated. Your father is no more." It was plain and simple.

I just stood there, listing to what he was saying. Then, I shook my head in disbelief, "Your lying! That would have been all over the news, seeing as he's a member of the elite four!"

"Don't think we didn't cover it up, you stupid girl."

My body began to tremble. Was he telling the truth? Was my father already dead? "If you don't believe me, then look at this." He tossed something from the helicopter.

It landed directly in front of me, with a sickening crunch. I slowly reached for it, quickly realizing that it was a picture frame. In the picture, there was a younger version of my mother and father, and then of me and my sister, Irina. Blood soaked the now broken glass.

"He was clinging onto the photo as though his very life depended on it."

I could feel my stomach drop to my feet. My throat began to throb with pain, as I realized that Giovanni was telling the truth. They murdered my father. My mind went blank, and I simply dropped to my knees. Not a single thought came to mind. I just stared at the ground, trying to overcome the shock. My father, the man who abandoned us, was dead. I could Giovanni talking. He mentioned building a laboratory here, and creating powerful, cloned pokemon. Mewtwo would be at the head. He then explained to me how psychic humans and pokemon have an affinity for each other. If there is a psychic human nearby, then the pokemon will grow even more powerful. And because my telekinesis was so strong, that made me extremely valuable.

But I didn't care about any of that. I was contemplating my father's death. I wasn't sure whether to feel angry or to mourn. He abandoned us, and tried to use me as some lab rat. He didn't care about us. So why should I care about him? But that is why I was in so much pain. I _did _care about my father. I hated him, but I still wished that he hadn't died. _Damn he…damn him…DAMMIT!!! _Tears streaked my cheeks as I sat on the ground, simply starring at it…

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"WILL YOU KIDS SHUT-UP ALREADY!?!"

A male voice rang throughout the cavern, causing it shake slightly. The grunt was standing among his fellows and their captives, glaring at two of said prisoners fiercely.

I happened to be one of said captives. Since being locked in that prison with Team Rocket, Ash and I have been arguing over whose fault it is that were even caught in the first place. Eventually, the grunts took us to the exit of the cave, but then left us there, and returned with a horde of pokemon, all bound like we were, and now were being escorted back to our cell. I think our constant bickering was driving the Team Rocket grunts insane, especially the one who was now yelling at the both of us.

"Well I can't help it that my _friend _is an idiot." My voice was edgy, and I was glaring at Ash as though I were about to strangle him.

The black-haired teen had the same look on his face, "I can't help that they stole my Pikachu!"

"You should learn how to hold on to your pokemon better!" I shouted back.

The grunt ran his fingers through his hair, snarling like a wild Primeape, "Shut-up! Shut-up or I'll have my Raticate rip your damn vocal cords out!"

That worked. The both of us fell silent immediately. Actually, I wasn't mad about being arrested by Team Rocket. I was mad that Ash put Bella in danger. But he didn't know that they were trying to capture her, so I can understand why he would put her at risk. I even tried to get her to stay at the cottage. Did she listen? No. She _never _does as she is told!

I paused in my silent rant when Ash hurried to the back of the line. I followed him, with the others behind me, and found him kneeling beside two injured Pikachu. One appeared to be his, while the other had strange black markings on the tips of its ears.

Ash's arms could move enough, despite these annoying metal rings they placed around our torsos, to hold both of them. "Pikachu! What'd they do to you?" I could see the worry in his eyes.

Cullen turned to the teal-haired woman, "Luna, get the spring water that's in the vial in my pocket."

"Okay." She did as he asked, popped the lid open and then knelt beside the young teen. Ash let her pour the spring water down their throats, and we watched as the yellow rodents woke. They hopped out of his arms, and sang their names in unison.

"It worked!" Seems like Cullen was surprised.

Luna seemed to feel the same way, "I knew that it was healthy, but its healing powers are astounding!"

"Stop muttering and start walking! You can't stay here, we have a place all prepared!"

When I looked to see who was speaking, I found that it was Domino. That annoying blonde.

"Let me guess…the prison?" Cullen muttered.

Her eyebrows knitted together, "Get moving!"

Reluctantly, we did as we were commanded, and continued down the hall. _Where's Bella? Is she okay? _It was not long before I found myself locked in the prison once more, only with a group of pokemon added to the mix. I sighed and leaned against the bars. _Crap… _My heart skipped a beat when all of the pokemon in the cage began crying out. I looked around frantically, wondering what was going to happen.

"What're they saying?" Ash was the one that shouted over all of the noise.

A Meowth walked towards us on its hind legs. I realized that it was Team Rocket's talking one. "They say der comin', and they're mad."

"Can you be a little more specific?" I asked, deciding that he wasn't being very clear.

"The bug pokemon. They're mad at de humans dat are pollutin' the lake. And they're comin' ta stop 'em."

Well, that made sense. Now another question: why weren't we escaping? There was a horde of powerful pokemon in there, and we were not trying to do anything. Explosions shook the entire island, and soon the metal bars were blown apart. I covered my face, protecting myself from the blast. When my eyes opened, I saw that we were free. _Well, that's a relief. _Now I understood why the pokemon wouldn't attack. Why waste energy destroying bars when the bug pokemon could do it for them?

"Come on!" Ash shouted. We sprinted out of the prison and began making our way to where we believed Bella was being held…

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Explosions sounded around me. I sighed and shook my head. _Mewtwo…what now? _I couldn't do anything to help him. He was hovering before me, being electrocuted by the machines. My pokemon wouldn't be able to destroy them, I knew that for sure.

"Bella!"

I turned around, facing the source of the voice. It was Gary, and Ash and everyone else. They came.

"You guys…" I whispered.

The brunette charged towards me, stopping directly in front of me, "Bella, are you-what the Hell is that!?"

I looked to the injured psychic-type, "He's Mewtwo…but…if we don't do something…he'll die…"

"Mewtwo…?" he looked towards the struggling clone.

I was about to continue my pathetic and useless moping, when a thought came to mind. I rose to my feet, and walked towards the Mewtwo. He managed to lower himself to the ground, so I was able to reach him.

"Mewtwo," I said as I neared the crimson colored orb, "I'm going to help you destroy these machines."

He looked at me, a pained expression on his face, "_But how? Your pokemon won't be able to destroy these machines alone._"

"They won't be alone," I turned to face the others, "Guys! Get your pokemon to help me and Mewtwo destroys these machines, got it?"

I turned to face him, and slowly, extended my palms out to him. I pressed them against the orb, and winced as pain shot through my entire body. Black lightning engulfed my entire body, and I cried out in pain. I closed my eyes, and forced myself to concentrate. The power I felt earlier surged through me once more. I forced it to the outside, and then closed my aura around the machines. I was trying to telepathically rip them apart like Mewtwo was. To strengthen our power, we chose to link our minds like we did before, when I was a little kid.

While I fought past the pain, the others worked on destroying them. Ash brilliantly decided to just tackle the things. That didn't work very well.

"_They can't stop it themselves…Bella, either these machines will be destroyed, or I will be…_"

"Well it isn't going to be the machines!" I hissed through clenched teeth, trying to overcome the pain caused by the electricity.

We both increased our power, thus causing the machines to work harder. The pain increased, and screams ripped through the air. My entire body was going numb, and the electric shock was damaging my body. We focused our power on one machine, while the two Pikachu that accompanied the others electrified it. Relief flooded my heart as it broke down, thus releasing both Mewtwo and I. The other machine, confused about the loss of its power, fell apart.

Both Mewtwo and I dropped to the ground, no longer capable of moving.

"Bella!"

"Mewtwo!"

Ash and Gary sprinted towards us, kneeling beside the both of us. My breathing was ragged, the fever and damage done to my body getting to me. Black blotches tore at my vision, and before I knew it, was I descending into the darkness…

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"Bella?" I shook her, but she wasn't moving. "Bella!" I grabbed her shoulders and flipped the unconscious blonde over. She lost consciousness. My eyes widened when I saw the blood trickling out of her mouth.

"_We destroyed the machines…but…we have also done…irreparable damage to ourselves…_" The Pikachu grabbed his hands, and tried to pull him towards the cave.

Meowth joined us near the dying pokemon, "The spring! If they goes to da spring, den you can heal dem!"

"He does have a point." Brock muttered.

"I'm sorry, but I shall be the one to decide whether they shall live or not."

I knew that voice. I turned to face the owner, finding Giovanni himself, surrounded by Domino and a herd of Team Rocket grunts. We were outnumbered. _Great, just great. _I began shifting Bella so that she was on my back. I wasn't about to give up.

"Stay out of the way!" Brock shouted as he and Misty called out their pokemon. Ash lifted Mewtwo so that he was hanging on the teen's shoulders, while I was about to carry Bella into the cave behind us.

"No!" Giovanni shouted. He stopped when a pool of flames engulfed some of his grunts, the men screaming in agony as they were burned. "What the…!?"

I fixed my gaze so that I was looking upwards. My lips curled into a smile when I saw who it was. A loud roar echoed in the sky as a familiar dragon made his way to the island. Charizard's wings flapped as he landed beside us, and he was not very happy from the looks of it. He seemed to recognize Giovanni.

"Heh, don't know how you got here," I said, "but thanks for coming." Charizard growled.

Ash drug Mewtwo towards the flying pokemon, a hopeful look in his eyes, "Charizard, will you take us to the spring inside that cave? Bella and Mewtwo need it if they're going to live!"

He looked down at his dying trainer, and then crouched so that we called all mount his back. The fire-type's wings flapped, and he took flight. I held on to both Bella and the pokemon as he soared into the darkness of the cave. I could hear the cries of the wild pokemon outside. Charizard flew into the beautiful spring, and landed right in front of it. Cullen and Luna were surprised to see a large dragon.

"What the…!?" Ash climbed off of Charizard with Mewtwo on his back, and then I jumped off with Bella on mine. "What kind of pokemon is that?" I was hoping that Cullen was referring to Mewtwo and not Charizard. It's obvious who the fire-type was.

"Its name is Mewtwo and it's really sick. Both Bella and Mewtwo need to get in the lake!" the raven-haired teen said as he neared the water. I wasn't too far behind.

Cullen tried to step in his way, "No you can't. You guys might contaminate the water. I mean, didn't I hear someone say that Bella has the flu? And the pokemon, who knows-AH!!!" He leapt away when Charizard slammed his tail in front of it. It grunted angrily. He was not going to leave room for argument.

"Sorry, but these two need that water the most!" Ash called out Bayleef and Bulbasaur, ordered them to grab Mewtwo with their vine whip, and then he chucked the lavender colored pokemon into the center of the lake.

I stomped up to him and punched him in the back of the head, "Ash you dolt! You don't just chuck a dying pokemon into a lake!" He glared at me furiously. I ignored him and moved Bella so that I was holding her bridle style. Carefully, I sat down on the edge of the lake, and grabbed a handful of water. I poured some of it in her mouth, and waited for a reaction. Nothing. I tried again, but she remained the same. Unresponsive. I pressed my fingers to Bella's neck. There was barley even a pulse. She was dying. Her body convulsed as she hacked more blood up, causing it to pour down her chin.

"Bella…" I whispered, shaking my head. "Dammit it Bella…"

I could hear Charizard whimpering behind me. Angry, I rose to my feet and carefully climbed into the water. I wadded through it until I reached the deepest part, and then released her body. I watched as she sank into the darkness…and wondered if I would ever see her again…

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_I could see images of myself swimming through a lake. The water was cool and crystal clear. Untouched by mankind. I broke through the surface, and took flight. I glanced back at the island in which I once dwelt, but then continued on. I noticed that my feet were a pale pink, and they looked as though they belonged to an animal._

'_Wait a minute…those are…Mew? That island! This is Mount Quena! Mew's been living in Mount Quena all this time…'_

'_So…you can see my memories, too?'_

'_Mewtwo? Yeah, I think I can see your memories.' _

_Images of a laboratory flashed before my eyes. I could see Mewtwo as an infant, sleeping inside of the tube._

_Images of two little girls flashed by my eyes. The children watched as their parents argued, and then their father stomped out of the house, slamming the door as he went. _

'_An experiment.'_

'_Abandoned.' _

'_You have suffered pain as I have. Your…father, the male that created you…he abandoned you. Left you and your family alone. '_

'_You were treated as nothing but an experiment…shown cold and hatred. You lost Amber, and the other clones. I left you behind.' _

'_But your father did no abandon you. He left…to protect you. He did not want to taint you mind with his past sins, and out of shame, broke all contact.'_

'_But you aren't hated. Even in death, Amber and the other clones still care for you dearly. And so do I. You have some many friends, and yet you think you're alone.' _

'_Why was I born? What is my reason to exist?'_

_I shrugged. 'Honestly, I don't know. I don't know why I exist. But Mewtwo, earlier, I shared some of your thoughts. This world belongs to you, just like it does me. If you didn't belong here, then would you be alive right now? No-one knows their exact purpose when their born. You discover it as you live. You have to search for it. See where you belong.' _

_There was silence. _

'_Mewtwo…are we going to stand by and let those Rockets destroy this place, or are we going to live, and find our purpose?'_

_I watched as Mewtwo's eyes began to glow an azure blue. My irises reflected his. A grin curled at lips…_

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I could feel the power boiling inside of me. The cold, freezing water surrounded my body, healing all of my wounds. Mewtwo and I regained consciousness at the same time, our psychic auras growing in size. The two of us shot to the surface, emerging so that we were in plain view. Giovanni and his helicopters were attempting to destroy the spring.

Both Mewtwo and I hovered in midair, glaring hatefully at the brunette.

"Your _not _going to destroy this place!" I hissed, "You're _really _starting to piss me off, Giovanni! And now I can get back at you for kidnapping me back in Celadon! And for all of the pain you've caused Mewtwo and everyone else!"

"_We are going to use the last of our power to protect the very thing that has given us new life!_"

We both activated our powers, creating an azure light that that pulsated throughout the mountain. We began manipulating the land, turning it completely upside down. Mewtwo and I fixed it so that the spring was underground, hidden from view. When I released my aura, allowing myself to cool off, I found that Gary and the others were there. Even the cloned pokemon were present.

I dropped to the ground, pressing my fingers on my temples.

"Bella!" Gary sprinted towards me, wrapping his arms around me once he was close enough. "You're alive…"

I blushed, "G-Gary, your embarrassing me!" I pulled away from him, finding it difficult to look him in the eye.

"How're you feeling?"

"Uh…better. I mean hey, my fevers gone." I flashed him a dorky smile. He chuckled and shook his head.

"_We have moved the spring beneath Mount Quena. Now, the spring can remain untouched and unharmed by man._"

"Wow, this is amazing," Ash gasped, "just wait 'till I tell Professor Oak about this!"

"_You will tell no-one. Once you leave this place, you must leave your memories of what has occurred here behind._"

"You're going to erase our memories?" Gary looked a little worried. Mewtwo has never tampered with his mind before, because he wasn't present when I last met the pokemon. I wondered if he could still erase my memories; he probably could.

"You can't do dat!"

I turned, seeing that it was Meowth from Team Rocket. He stomped towards Mewtwo, his furry face twisted with anger. "It's only natural to wonder about who and what 'ya are. And someday, des little ones are gonna want some answers. Only der won't be any, not if your gonna make everybody forget!" the cloned pokemon agreed, "So what if they're parents were clones? We're all living creatures. Dey deserve 'te know!"

That had to be the smartest thing I have ever heard come from that pokemon's mouth.

"He has a point." I made sure that Mewtwo could hear my voice.

"Just forgetting things won't change the fact that they happened." Brock added.

"He has a point, too," I was cleaning my nails while this was going on. I stopped when an old friend stomped towards me, and nuzzled my cheek. "There, Charizard." I hugged his head, relieved to see him again.

"_Fine…I shall allow you to keep your memories. However, I shall erase the memories of those who seek to do us harm._"

I linked my mind with Mewtwo's, and watched as the memories of us slowly vanished from Giovanni's mind. He wouldn't remember a thing. Nothing about me, Mewtwo, or the clones. He wasn't even aware that my father used to be alive. I listened to his mind as he argued with Domino. _For some reason, I feel like I just lost an argument. _He thought to himself. I snickered, knowing full well that he did.

With that, Mewtwo used his telekinesis to lift the clones into the air, and then began flying out of the cave through the waterfall. Team Rocket soon followed in their balloon, causing me to wonder when it was fixed.

Mewtwo returned to cave once all of the clones filed out, landing directly in front of me. "_It was a pleasure meeting you again. I hope that we can sustain our friendship, even if we are apart._"

I smiled and hugged the pokemon, "Of course we can," Mewtwo tensed when I hugged him. He stood there for a second, not quite sure what to do with himself. Finally, he gave me an awkward hug and then let go. "See you later."

"_Of course. If you ever hear my voice, know that it is my spirit, calling across time and space._" I watched as Mewtwo flew away with the Meowth and Pikachu clones.

I sighed and stretched my arms above my head, "Well, that was exciting," and then I turned to the others, "So how do we plan to get back?"

Ash pointed at something near the waterfall. I looked at it, finding that it was a Pikachu shapped, hot air balloon.

"Uh…no," I turned to a certain someone, smiling at him, "Wanna relive old times before you head back to Pallet?"

Charizard growled in agreement, and knelt down so that I could mount him. I climbed on, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Room for two?"

I looked down at Gary, and smiled, "Of course." He soon joined me, his arms wrapped around my waist. Both of us waved farewell to the others as Charizard took off into the night sky. We flew over the Team Rocket combat force before heading to the nearest city…

**And this is end of that chapter. So now her battle with Team Rocket is over. And now she's made peace with Mewtwo and can remember him this time. I made it so that only Bella remembers her last encounter with him; Ash and the others are still oblivious to that. And Charizard appeared again. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	42. Chapter 42

**Thank-you for reviewing. In the sequel, it will feature a completely new OC, paired with a different canon character. I'm not going to say who. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 41: Fighting **

"_For it was not my ear you whispered, _

_But into my heart._

_It was not my lips you kissed,_

_But my soul._"

-Judy Garland

A sigh escaped my lips as I gazed up at the stars that littered the night sky. I was lying in the grass, in the center of the forest nearest to Cianwood City. The fire crackled in front of me, while the crickets played their midnight song. After leaving Mount Quena, we landed in the forest, where I dismissed Charizard. He returned to our home in Pallet, to wait for me when I either came home or needed him again. Gary and I walked around the forest for a while, until we finally set up camp. Despite our victory over Team Rocket, my heart continued to sink into the dephs of depression. I wasn't sure why.

"Bella," I jumped and sat up straight. Gary was walking towards me. He left to gather some firewood; he must have finished while I was daydreaming. "Are you feeling okay?" he sat beside me, a worried look on his face.

I nodded, trying to lie and save him the trouble, "Yeah…fine…"

"That's not very convincing, Bella." Crap. I sighed again, feeling frustrated with him. Why did he have to worry about me so much?

Might as well tell him. He could be so persistent. "Back at Mount Quena…I came face-to-face with Giovanni again. While I was arguing with him, as usual, he told me something…"

"Like what?" he cocked his head to the side, like a curious Growlithe.

I hesitated, but told him in the end. "That…Team Rocket murdered my dad."

He fell silent. Gary was well aware of the problems surrounding my family. He knew that mu parents had practically become worst enemies, and that the divorce wasn't pretty. But he didn't know the reason behind it.

"Bella…why did you parents divorce?"

I shook my head, "That's none of your business."

"Bella, you need to tell someone your feelings! If you don't, then you'll become some bitter old woman someday just because you have trouble letting go of…"

I glared at him, "Do you want to know why my parents broke up!? This is why!" I pointed at myself, "My dad was a member of Team Rocket! He tried to use my psychic powers to strengthen the Mewtwo project, and basically, he gave them permission to decide my future for me! I was going to be some guinea pig for their dumbass plan to control Mewtwo, and then take over the whole damn world! Okay!? My mom was sick of it, so they broke up and my dad dropped out! My mom found a way to hide our family, not sure how, but she did…that's why I hate…" my voice cracked near the end.

Gary didn't reply. He just turned his head away, coal-black irises glued to the dancing flames before us.

I turned away from him as well. The tears fought to escape, but I began rebuilding the broken barriers, trying to create a dam that would hold the river back. I jumped a little when I felt a hand grip my own, and looked down. Gary was holding my hand for some reason. A blush crept onto my cheeks when his hand moved to my back, and pulled me against his chest.

I sighed, and closed my eyes. My arms wrapped around his stomach, and I could feel a tear escape the corner of my eye. Why is always like this? Always here to look after me, especially when I needed him the most? An even bigger question is: why am I so drawn to him? The two of us stayed like that for a while. Eventually, Gary fell asleep, and I remained awake. I pulled away from him, and dug around inside of my pack, pulling my sketchbook and pencil out.

I leaned against a tree, and began to draw. Hours passed as I finished an image of Mewtwo standing on the rooftop of a city, a brown, tattered cloak billowing around him as the wind blew by. The picture was of my father, and the way I remembered him. He was younger, and dressed like a normal person. In his arms was a giggling little girl. Me when I hadn't a care in the world. When I was finished, I placed the sketchpad back into my pack and leaned against Gary again, allowing myself to fall asleep…

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The next morning, Gary and I packed our things and began walking along the route once again. Shortly after leaving the campsite, we ran into a group of powerful trainers. We took turns battling them, showing them just how strong our pokemon were. Gary's pokemon consisted of Blastoise, Arcanine, Umbreon, Nidoking, Alakazam, and Nidoqueen. The last one was happy to see me again. And it was the same for me. It had been so long since I last saw my old pokemon.

Gary took care of his pokemon, obviously. Like mine, they all loved him, and they were extremely powerful. No doubt he would beat me if we battled each other.

My pokemon still consisted of Quilava, Misdreavus, Scyther, Houndoom, Espeon, and Pupitar. So mine hadn't completely evolved.

After hours of battling and walking, we came to Cianwood City.

Immediately, we dropped by the Pokemon Center and allowed them to rest. Gary and I say down and ate a quick lunch before leaving, deciding to have a look around the place.

Like Olivine City, Cianwood City was placed directly beside the beach. Small buildings and shops made this place what it was, and this is where the next gym was located, as well. Strangely, it lacked a Pokemart, something I found very annoying. Cianwood was actually part of an island; however Charizard flew us over the ocean, so we didn't waste any money on boat tickets.

The two of us decided that I would fight the gym leader first this time.

So, shortly after leaving the Pokemon Center, Gary and I headed for the gym. The building was shapped like a fighting dojo, giving me some idea of what I was up against.

We went inside, finding ourselves in what appeared to be some kind of lobby. A lot of gyms had that. We moved on, and quickly located the arena. It was really quite plain, like most of the gyms in Johto. There was a man sitting in the center of the arena. He appeared to be middle-aged, and was shirtless. He was completely ripped! But I could see his beer belly, so he wasn't very lean. He wore white pants and a black sash around his waist, and was barefoot. His short, dark brown hair spiked into the air. The sideburns acted as a mustache as well, causing me to snicker slightly. Last, he had ebony colored irises.

"Um…excuse me?" I said, trying to catch the man's attention.

He jumped to his feet immediately, looking slightly annoyed, "What?"

I hesitated, and then answered, "Are you the Cianwood City gym leader?"

"Yes, what do you want?" he crossed his arms over his chest.

I cleared my throat, "My name is Bella Vanielle, of Pallet Town. I'm here to challenge you for the Storm Badge."

"Another trainer from Pallet?" the brunette cocked his head to the side, and then smiled, "I hope your as good as the last."

"Let me guess, Ash Ketchum?" Gary asked from behind me.

He nodded, "Yes. His Bayleef was so powerful! A true warrior!" He looked as though he were on the brink of tears. Why, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it was because he lost? He smiled at me and bowed, "I am Chuck Shijima, the gym leader of Cianwood City! If you want the Storm Badge, then you better give me your all!"

I grinned, "Plan to."

Chuck moved to the other side of the gym, while I remained where I was standing.

I watched as he reached into his pocket, and pulled a pokeball out. He tossed it into the air, allowing ivory light to explode from within. A Poliwrath appeared in front of me. _Water-fighting type, huh? Which one is the bigger focus, though? _I grabbed a pokeball off of my belt, and tapped it. Scyther appeared in front of me.

"Water Gun!" Chuck ordered.

"X-Scissor!" I called.

Scyther evaded the liquid-based attack and flew at Poliwrath. The latter used its fists to block the attack, "Fury Cutter!" The bug-flying-type took his chance and sliced into Poliwrath's flesh.

"Seismic Toss!"

I grit my teeth as the water-fighting-type grabbed hold of Scyther, leapt into the air, twirled in a circle, and tossed him to the ground. He hit with a sickening thud, and shakily got to his feet.

"Wing Attack!"

His wings began to glow as he flew at Poliwrath. "Mega Punch!" The blue pokemon thrust its fist at my bug-type, knocking him backwards.

"Night Slash!" I watched as Scyther melted into the shadows in the room. Chuck and Poliwrath scanned the room, searching for a hint of my pokemon's existence. While they weren't paying attention, Scyther snuck up on Poliwrath in the darkness, and slashed its back. Blood squirted onto the floor as the water-type staggered away from its attacker.

"Now, use Sword Dance!" Scyther lunged at his opponent, and allowed his claws to rain down on Poliwrath, leaving cuts and bruises all over its body.

Chuck sighed, "Dynamic Punch." Poliwrath drew its fist back and punched Scyther again, this time sending my pokemon soaring across the room and slamming into the wall.

"Seismic Toss."

"Quick Attack!"

Scyther sped forward, claws ready, but stopped as Poliwrath caught him, twirled him in a circle, and slammed him against the floor.

"Body Slam!"

The blue pokemon leapt into the air, and dropped all of its weight onto my green-colored bug-type, injuring him even further.

"Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"

Unfortunately, my pokemon didn't move. That last attack was enough to knock him unconscious. I sighed and recalled Scyther. I reached for another pokeball on my belt, and then tossed it into the air. Quilava appeared before me.

"Using a fire-type against a water-type? Is that a wise choice?" Chuck asked, arching one eyebrow.

I smirked, "Don't underestimate Quilava. Now, use Flame Wheel!"

Fire engulfed Quilava's entire body as he curled into a ball, and began rolling towards Poliwrath.

"Endure! Seismic Toss!"

Quilava hit his mark, but Poliwrath grabbed the fire-type and chucked him at the wall. To my immense relief, the fire pokemon landed against the flat surface on all fours.

"Good job, boy! Now use Fire Blast!" Quilava's mouth opened, allowing crimson flames to appear before him. They were shapped like a kanji. The flames flew forward and slammed into Poliwrath, burning it.

"Quick Attack!" his body was cloaked in light as he sprinted across the room and slammed into Poliwrath, causing even more damage. "Now, finish it with Double Edge!"

The flames protruding from Quilava's body morphed into a bright gold as he run at Poliwrath.

"Dynamic Punch!"

My pokemon was faster. He evaded the attack at the last second and hit the mark, finishing Poliwrath.

"Hmm…it's not everyday you meet a fire-type that can overcome the strength of water," He recalled his unconscious Poliwrath, and then tossed another pokeball into the air. "Let's see how long it can endure."

A Machoke appeared before Quilava and I. Since he was my second pokemon, exchanging the fire-type was out of the question.

Shortly after calling out his second pokemon, Chuck began the battle. "Dynamic Punch!" The taller pokemon lunged at the shorter, drawing its fist back as it did so. Quilava leapt into the air, narrowly dodging the attack. Machoke's knuckles connected with floor, creating a crater upon landing.

"Flamethrower!" Fire spewed from Quilava's mouth, engulfing the powerful Machoke.

"Seismic Toss!"

A hand shot from the flames and grabbed Quilava's fur. As the fire died down, Machoke jerked around and slammed the fire-type against the ground.

"Quick Attack!"

Quilava broke free of the fighting-type's hand, and zipped past it, hitting it in the shoulder as he did so.

"Eruption!"

"Upper Cut!"

Machoke socked Quilava in the back, only to be engulfed in flames the next second. It cried out in pain and staggered backwards, trying to overcome the flames.

"Double Edge!"

"Low Kick!"

Quilava landed on the floor, allowed his flames to turn a bright gold, and then sped at Machoke. The latter dropped its heel, narrowly missing the fire-type as he slid to the side, and then impaled it with his razor sharp spikes. Machoke dropped to its knees, and then fell forward, hitting the floor.

I was amazed at how quickly the battle blew over. It was almost scary. _Wow, that was surprisingly easy. _I smiled and waved at my Johto starter, "Good job boy…" I stopped in mid sentence.

Machoke's hand shot out, grabbed Quilava, and then tossed him across the room. My pokemon hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Finish it with a Dynamic Punch!" Chuck shouted.

I stared in shock at the sudden turn of events, and then gathered myself, "Quilava! Use Smoke Screen!" Darkened gas cloaked my pokemon as Machoke sped at him. There was a loud crunch as the fighter's fist connected with something. I decided to check on my pokemon, "Eruption!" Fire exploded from the darkness, and there was a cry of pain.

Quilava leapt from the smoke and sprinted away from an enraged Machoke, who was chasing him.

"Flamethrower!"

"Mega Punch!"

Quilava leapt into the air as Machoke's fist connected with the floor, causing a large gash to appear as the wood split apart. Fire shot from Quilava's mouth and wrapped around Machoke's body, burning it.

"Dynamic Punch!"

"Evade! Double Edge!"

Quilava moved before Machoke could hit him, and sliced the pokemon's shoulder and side open, allowing blood to hit the floor. Machoke dropped to its knees again, cradling the wound.

"Alright Quilava, finish with…" I began.

Chuck ran across the room and stood between the two pokemon, his hand up. "Stop! That's enough!" He turned to his fallen pokemon, whispered something to it, and then recalled it into its pokeball.

He then rose to his feet and turned to face me, "Your Quilava is without a doubt, a true warrior! It reminds of that Bayleef…" tears streaked his cheeks as he dramatically punched his fist into the air, "…but that's why I need to train even more! How could I let children best me!?"

I looked at him strangely. This man was very emotional. After watching him cry for a few seconds, he turned to me and handed something to me. I looked at my palm, and found a brown badge shapped like a fist. I smirked as I placed it in the case, along with the Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, and Mineral Badge. Six down, two more to go.

"Your Scyther needs a little work, but your Quilava has been raised to perfection. Now, go leave." He turned away, muttering something about food.

I turned to Gary, who was starring at the damaged arena with interest. He knew exactly what his pokemon would be up against tomorrow. Without a word, the two of us left the Cianwood City gym and headed to the Pokemon Center…

**End of this chapter. Just two more badges and then it's the Silver Conference. Well, please review and I shall update soon…**


	43. Chapter 43

**And now for the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing. I'm already thinking up the plot for the next fic. Also, I changed the chapter that Bella received her Cyndaquil, introducing two more canon characters. I also changed it so that Jimmy received a Cyndaquil instead of a Chikorita. **

**Also, she had all eight Kanto badges during the first movie chapter. In that chapter, she was preparing for the Indigo League. So technically, by the end of Johto, she will have sixteen badges when counting Kanto. So, without further adieu… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 42: Cold **

"_A comfortable old age is the reward_

_Of a well-spent youth._

_Instead of its bringing sad and melancholy _

_Prospects of decay, it_

_Would give us hopes of eternal youth in a better world._"

-Maurice Chevalier

We stayed in the Pokemon Center for the rest of the night, allowing mine to rest. The next morning, Gary left to challenge Chuck for his Storm Badge. I stayed in the Pokemon Center, talking with another trainer while my companion was out. While I was speaking to this girl, I noticed a familiar and very interesting figure enter the Center. It was a young man, possibly around seventeen or eighteen. His short, fiery red hair was spiked into the air. Dark brown irises cautiously glanced around the Center, finding very little trainers in the lobby. He wore a black and red suit, with a white belt buckled around his waist. I could see two pokeballs attached to it. Black boots rimmed with crimson acted as his footwear. A long, black cape billowed behind him as he walked.

Not very conspicuous. The trainers in the room smiled with admiration and joy upon seeing him. Even I recognized the guy. His name was Lance Wataru, a member of the Elite Four of both the Silver Conference and the Indigo League. He was the champion that replaced Red after the latter dismissed the title.

I watched as he crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of Nurse Joy's desk. A knowing look filled her eyes as he leaned towards her, whispering something that I couldn't hear. She nodded, and he walked around the desk and entered one of the doors behind her.

Curiosity filled my heart as I sat there, waiting for him to emerge. He didn't.

"Wow, Lance is so hot!" the girl, Anna Wilkins, I had been talking to sighed. It was like she was in a trance. "Did you know that he focuses entirely on dragon pokemon? And that the only ones he's ever had are a Dragonite and Gyarados? That's amazing! Dragonite are so rare nowadays."

A second later, Gary entered the Pokemon Center. I rose to my feet, and met him at the counter. There, he handed Nurse Joy his pokemon, and then we both left the center. We decided to grab something to eat before heading to Mahogany Town. We chose a cheap restaurant, seeing as money was a factor, and ate then returned to the Pokemon Center. There, we retrieved our pokemon, and then we were off to the harbor. We bought our tickets, and then boarded the boat soon as it was ready. Within minutes, we set sail, heading back to the mainland…

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It took at least one day for us to reach the mainland. I paused when we reached the next city, thinking of the place where we met Suicune and Celebi, before continuing on with Gary and his Umbreon. We dropped by a Pokemart before heading into the next route, and fighting even more powerful trainers as we retraced our footsteps. As I watched Gary's Umbreon battle, I began to wonder what it would be like for my Espeon and his Umbreon to go toe-to-toe. They seemed to be evenly matched. The rest of his pokemon were rather intimidating, too. He did seem impressed with my own pokemon, though.

Upon returning to the fork we had come to before, we decided to choose the direction we had ignored, seeing as that would probably take us to Mahogany Town.

This road was worse then the last. It was filled to the brim with strong trainers and their pokemon.

I was relieved when we found a Pokemon Center. There, we stayed until night blew over, leaving the Center to continue on to Mahogany Town.

I noticed that the temperature was slowly dropping lower and lower as we went.

Two days later, we found Mahogany Town. I was a little confused when I saw an old wooden sign saying 'Welcome to the Home of the Ninja'. But then another sign cleared the confusion, saying that it was indeed Mahogany Town. The two of us stopped by the Pokemon Center, where we allowed our pokemon to rest and eat before deciding that Gary would fight the gym leader first.

Once the decision was made, the two of us left the Center and crossed the small town. It was filled with old homes and a few retail stores, but was without a Pokemart. I was surprised that a place like this even had a gym. The gym itself was a surprise when comparing it to the other Johto gyms. When comparing it to Kanto gyms, then it was normal. It was sculpted from crystals, or ice to be more precise. Glass, double-doors allowed us to enter. It was a dead giveaway of what type of pokemon the gym leader relies on. I was wondering how they keep the ice around the gym from melting when I noticed someone leaving.

The familiar teen I had come to know as Jimmy came sprinting down the stairs. He seemed to notice me.

"Bella!" he called, waving one hand.

I smiled at him, returning the friendly gesture, "Hey there, Jimmy!"

He skidded to a stop in front of me, smiling wildly, "How've you been?"

"Great, you?"

"Fine. I've got seven badges and my Cyndaquil is a Typhlosion now! Pichu is doing pretty good, too. It evolved into a Pikachu several months ago."

I was a little jealous that his Cyndaquil made it to the final stage before mine, but I dismissed the emotion quickly, "That's great! My Cyndaquil is still a Quilava, but I'm sure he'll evolve soon."

A goofy smile appeared on his face, "That's funny, considering you have more experience as a pokemon trainer then I do."

"Heh, don't push it." My grin probably looked more demented then happy.

He began walking away, flashing me a lazy wave as he did so, "Well, I'm sure your pretty busy, so see'ya."

"Bye." I said as he left. Gary was standing beside me, his eyes narrowed at Jimmy as the other male left.

After he was gone, Gary went inside of the gym while I waited for him outside.

I ended up sitting there for quite a while before he finally emerged, shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. Turns out that it is very cold in there, and that the gym leader did rely heavily on ice-type pokemon. I followed Gary to the Pokemon Center, where he took some time to warm up and eat dinner, also allowing his pokemon to rest. Afterwards, we rented a room and spent the night at the Center.

The next day, it was my turn to face the gym leader.

The two of us headed to the gym again, this time both of us going inside. We entered the building, which was extremely cold compared to the outside. The lobby was just the beginning. When we reached the arena, I found that a majority of the floor was iced over, while a nice, cool pool was left for water-types in the center.

There was an old man standing in the room. He was going bald, and what little hair he head left was pure white. His skin was extremely tanned, too. He wore a short-sleeved, dark yellow shirt with a white collar. Black pants covered his legs, and last he wore dress shoes.

"Hey," I called, causing him to turn towards me. Hard, black irises met my blue ones. "I'm Bella Vanielle from Pallet Town. You're the gym leader, right?"

He nodded his head, "Yes. Pryce Yanagi, of Mahogany Town. You're a challenger I presume?"

"Yes." I paused on the only safe spot in the room.

He sighed, "Alright, let's get this over with. Only two pokemon each." He reached into his pocket, and pulled a pokeball out. I watched as his finger tapped it, allowing a Dewgong to appear before me.

_Hmm…I'll use her first… _I tossed the first pokeball into the air, causing Misdreavus to appear before me.

"Shadow Ball!"

An ebony sphere shot from Misdreavus' mouth, and soared at Dewgong. The latter ducked into the water, and then returned to the surface.

"Ice Beam." Pryce ordered calmly.

The name suited the attack; a beam of ice shot from within the water, soaring straight towards Misdreavus. She twirled out of the way, and then countered with Payback. The ghost pokemon vanished and appeared beside Dewgong, who resurfaced for the attack, and tackled it.

"Ice Shard."

My eyes scanned the room, waiting for some hint of an assault. My question answered itself as icicles broke away from the ceiling and dropped down on Misdreavus.

"Evade to the right!" I shouted, causing her to side-spin in that direction. The frozen spikes hit Dewgong instead, wounding the water-ice pokemon. It was painful fitting it, seeing as I had a Dewgong as well. But I had to remember that this wasn't my pokemon.

"Use Dark Pulse!" I called. Rings of black erupted from Misdreavus' eyes, and slowly wrapped around Dewgong's body. They tightened, leaving already darkening bruises on the fully evolved pokemon.

Dewgong cried out as the rings vanished, "Aurora Beam!" A multicolor beam began to charge inside of the ivory pokemon's mouth, and then was shot straight at Misdreavus.

"Counter with Shadow Ball!" The attack was faster then most beam-related attacks and it would be hard for her to dodge.

The black sphere soared across the gym and slammed into the multicolored beam, creating a small explosion. Frozen dust swirled around me; I covered my face to try to protect myself, waiting for it to subside. Once it did, I found that both Dewgong and Misdreavus, both wounded, were still standing. It was still hard to fight a pokemon similar to my own.

I decided to be kind to the Dewgong, and end it, "Perish Song."

Navy blue waves rippled around the room as Misdreavus opened her mouth, allowing a beautiful yet tragic song to fill the room. It was a song that told the story of death and tears, something I hoped I would never encounter. Dewgong's eyelids slowly closed over its eyes, and it fell asleep as the song continued to play. Once the melody ended, Pryce recalled his unconscious pokemon.

"A peaceful end to a battle," he placed the pokeball into his pocket and then pulled another out, "interesting." He tossed it into the air, allowing a pokemon I had never laid eyes on to appear before me.

_What the heck…? _It was a relatively large creature, standing on all fours and to at least my shoulders. Its bulky body was cloaked in long, shaggy brown fur. I could see a pink nose, and curled, over tusks. Its eyes and mouth were covered by the fur. Long ears hung at the sides of its head. _Piloswine, the ice-ground pokemon. They are strong, brave, and extremely belligerent. They will drive others from their territory, and guard their trainer to the very end. They usually live in cold areas. _

It wasn't very intimidating, but then looks can be deceiving.

I knew the perfect pokemon for this battle. I tossed the pokeball into the air, causing Quilava to appear before me. Ground and ice types are generally weaker then fire-types, due to the fact that water melts before fire, and the ground burns when faced with such a powerful element. I paused, thinking carefully about that last one. _Is that why ground-types are weak against fire-types? _I shrugged, deciding that it was fine with me as long as the combination was in my favor.

"Quilava, Fire Wheel!"

Flames engulfed the pokemon's body as he sprinted at the Piloswine.

"Mist." Pryce ordered in a calm tone.

A thick veil of mist appeared out of thin air, blinding both Quilava and myself. _Damn… _I jumped when I heard a cry of pain that I associated with Quilava's voice. My heart quickened at the thought of my helpless pokemon being attacked. _This isn't good. _"Quilava…wanna play in the sand?" A smirk played on my lips, seeing as my pokemon understood my words perfectly. Strange sounds began to fill the gym as I stood there, eyes glued to the fog.

Gary was standing directly beside me, so it was easier to see him. He looked at me strangely when I gave the command.

I crossed my arms over my chest and impatiently tapped my foot against the ground. I remained in that position until I felt a bump under said foot, and then calmed immediately. "Go on!" I shouted, and then the feeling beneath me vanished.

"Piloswine, it is underground!" Pryce's voice shouted, "Counter the Dig attack!"

_Sucker. _My foot tapped the ground again, until I could feel the bump again. "Let's get this over with," That was all he needed. I waited until I heard a scratching sound, and then gave the order "Eruption!"

The water in the pool bubbled dangerously as Quilava released the attack. The ground beneath me began to heat considerably, causing me to feel a little uncomfortable. By the time the assault had finished, I found that Quilava was standing on a small block of ice. The rest of the floor had melted completely. Piloswine was floating in the water, kicking its legs in an attempt to keep its head above water.

"Your tactic…?" the white-haired man asked, a little confused.

I allowed my arms to drop to my sides, a triumphant smile displayed on my lips, "I had Quilava burn his way through the areas that were solid ice and snow, and create a tunnel that led to the other side of the gym. Then, when you commanded Piloswine to chase him, I had Quilava break an ice cube and trap it inside the tunnel, then move to the only opening, and use Eruption. Now, you pokemon doesn't have any good footing to stand on."

"Correction," Pryce's face remained calm, like the element he commanded, "Use a controlled Blizzard."

I watched as Piloswine leapt out of the water, and then froze the spot. It landed on the ice, now in control of the situation. _Crap. _"Ice Beam!"

"Flamethrower!"

A whirlwind of ice and fire collided, creating a mini explosion on the gym. Smoke swirled around my body, slowly clearing so that I could see the result.

"Hyper Beam!"

"Dodge, then use Flamethrower!"

Quilava leapt above the golden beam, and then opened his own mouth, creating a beam of flames. The fire shot forward, only to be met with another Ice Beam. There was another explosion as shards of ice slashed at Quilava.

"Ice Beam!"

"Flamethrower!"

Once again, fire and ice met in a furious struggle for dominance, ending with another powerful explosion. We repeated this over and over again, until Piloswine launched a Hyper Beam attack. The attack sent Quilava soaring off of the cube of ice.

_One more chance… _"Fire Blast!"

Kanji created by flames of anger shot forward, hitting Piloswine's Hyper Beam and sending both attacks straight back at them. Once the smoke around the pokemon's body faded, I saw Piloswine collapse to the ground, unable to continue on.

Pryce looked genuinely surprised and worried for his pokemon's wellbeing. Despite his age, he leapt onto the block of eyes Piloswine was lying on. He stopped to press a hand to his back before bending down beside his ice-ground pokemon. "That's enough." He said. He recalled the creature into the pokeball before dipping his hands into the water, paddling himself towards Gary and me.

Once he was close enough, he stepped onto the only safe ground in the room and handed me what I had come for.

The small metal badge in the center of my palm was shapped like a blue snowflake. It was known as the Glacier Badge. I proudly set it in the case, alongside the Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Mineral Badge, and Shock Badge. _Seven down…one more…and then the Silver Conference… _I slipped the case into my pocket and then followed Gary out of the building after saying farewell to Pryce…

**And story will be drawing to a close soon. Well, please review and I shall update soon…**


	44. Chapter 44

**Alright, I finally get to update. Sorry for my procrastination, but it's been storming a lot here, so its been hard finding the right moments to update and not risk frying my computer. Thank-you to everyone who has been reviewing. Also, as for Silver, when he appears in later chapters, you will notice an extreme change in his personality. Yes, he is still an antagonist, but he won't be so…unruly. He will make an appearance in the sequel, along with other characters. Okay, time for the next chappie… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 43: Mythical **

"_All of us failed to match our dreams_

_Of perfection. _

_So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure_

_To do the impossible._"

-William Faulkner

After defeating the seventh gym leader, I recalled Quilava and followed Gary to the Pokemon Center. There, I allowed my pokemon to rest while we grabbed a bite to eat. There, we stayed for the rest of the night. The next morning, we retrieved our pokemon and left the Center. Since there was a lack of a Pokemart, we were forced to continue on to the next route. The two of us moved through the route, feeling that the temperature was slowly dropping lower and lower. Like before, we ran into more trainers. They're pokemon proved to be a problem, something I learned as I found myself relying on Quilava more then anyone else. It was so cold; I eventually let the pokemon walk with us freely, allowing the heat he generated to make the situation more bearable.

Everything seemed to worsen when the ground vanished from beneath my feet, and I fell backwards.

A pair of arms caught me, keeping me from hitting the hard ground below me.

I looked up, finding Gary standing behind me with his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"Thanks." I said as he helped me to my feet. I looked down at what had caused me to fall, finding a gleaming sheet of ice below me.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Summer would arrive soon, and I was starring at a sheet of ice. _Why is it snowing when spring is about to be summer? That doesn't make any sense! _My jaw dropped when I looked ahead, finding that the entire route was snowed and iced over.

"This is ridiculous…" The words came out as a whisper.

"Don't like cold weather very much?" I nodded, "Same."

With that short exchange of words, Gary, Umbreon, Quilava, and I all headed into the ivory colored snow.

The tiny flakes crunched beneath our feet as began making our way through Ice Path; the route stayed true to its name. I slipped a few times, seeing as there was ice beneath the snow. Gary grabbed my hand once, and held as he tried to help me through the cold weather. He slipped a few times himself. My slight distress continued to rise when we came in contact with another trainer. To my dismay, he wanted to battle with me. So, I sent my Houndoom after him, and then finishing the rest of his pokemon with Scyther and Pupitar.

We encountered other trainers who were brainless enough to fight us in such rigid weather. Gary fought the next, and then I finished another off. The both of us went two days and nights without sleep before we managed to reach what we had been searching for. It was unsafe to sleep in cold weather, after all. I noticed that the snow seemed to melt away as we neared the city, and that the temperature continued to rise until it reached a bearable level. A small river flowed beside us as we came upon the city.

Blackthorn City was quite small compared to most cities, especially Goldenrod. It was made up of homes, stores, a Pokemart, and a Pokemon Center. There were a few normal Inns, too. Gary and I rushed to the Pokemon Center, both of us too tired to even care about the gym. There, we handed Nurse Joy our pokemon and dropped by the cafeteria. I ate some home cooked spaghetti while he consumed some barbequed chicken. Once our food and drinks were gone, we rented a room and headed upstairs.

Every time we asked for a room, Gary would usually say it in a low tone, so that the other trainers would not hear him.

We stayed in this room for the rest of the night. I fell asleep as soon as I laid down, and I was sure Gary did as well…

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The next morning, I awoke to the sound of running water. A few minutes later, a fully dressed Gary Oak walked out of the bathroom. He left the room, to give me the privacy I wanted. I rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom. There, I took a nice, hot soothing shower. My body was still haunted by the chill of the path, so it stung when the water pelted me, causing me to twitch uncomfortably. After a few seconds, I calmed, and began to enjoy my shower so much more. Once I was cleaned, I changed into a clean pair of clothes, brushed my hair and teeth, packed my things, and then headed downstairs to meet with Gary.

He was lounging on the couch, starring up at the ceiling.

"You're fighting her first."

I looked at him strangely, "Huh?" Then realized what he had just said, "Oh, the gym leader…you know who it is?"

"Yeah," he sat up and turned to fully face me, "The gym leader's a woman, and her name's Clair Ibuki. She specializes in dragon pokemon."

That information would be quite useful. I molded his words over in my mind, eyes staring at the floor. _Dragon pokemon… _A few seconds later, I sped across the room and took a seat on the chair that had been placed in front of one of the phones. I yanked the phone off of its receiver, and dialed the number I was hoping for. A loud ringing pounded at my eardrums before the one I was hoping to see appeared on the screen.

Professor Oak was smiling, as usual, when he saw that it was me calling him, "_Good afternoon, Bella. How've you been?_"

"Fine," _Afternoon? We've been asleep for a while, huh? _"I was wondering if you could send Charizard to me."

"_Of course…how many pokemon are you carrying?_" I knew why he was asking.

"I'll send my Scyther to you." He nodded, and both of us rose to our feet at the same time. I listened as Professor Oak walked away from the screen, and said something. There was a loud roar that seemed so familiar, and then an amused chuckle. I walked across the room and retrieved my pokemon from Nurse Joy, and then returned to the phone. Once I heard the 'okay', I walked to the small glass container beside the phone. I placed Scyther's pokeball onto it, and watched as it disappeared before my very eyes.

A second later, Charizard's pokeball appeared in the same spot. I picked it up and sat in front of the screen again. "Thanks, Professor."

"_No problem. I'll take good care of Scyther._"

I narrowed my eyes, but my voice was light and carefree in tone, "You better!" Professor Oak chuckled at me as he bid farewell and hung up.

_Now I'm ready for my final battle. The eighth gym. _I was not going to fight this battle without Charizard. I looked at Gary, a small smile on my face, "Ready."

He rolled off of the couch, and followed me out of the Center without a word.

The sun was shining down on Blackthorn City as the two of us began making our way to the gym. The building itself was very quite simple, being made completely of stone. When I entered, I was surprised that I found myself in the arena and not a lobby. Most gyms had a lobby and then the arena. Orange walls surrounded us. It was completely empty, too. Excluding the large pool, that is.

I stood there, wondering whether the gym leader was home. I cupped my hand over my mouth, "Anyone in here?"

"Yes."

I looked up, finding the one I had been searching for sitting on a windowsill. Said window was several feet off of the ground. I watched as the human swung her legs over the side, and pushed herself off. She dropped to the floor, landing gracefully in front of me.

I was surprised by her appearance. The woman was probably in her mid to late twenties. Her long, blue hair was tied back. The sides and bangs remained free, in a spiked style that reminded me of a powerful being I couldn't name. Dark blue irises met my own aqua colored pools. She wore a one-piece, dark, navy blue outfit. The garment was missing sleeves, but bore mini shorts. A long, black, short-sleeved coat billowed around. Dark, navy blue gloves protected her hands. Last, she wore dark, navy blue shoes. I also noticed silver, crescent-moon-shapped earrings.

"Clair Ibuki?" I asked, feeling a little surprised.

She nodded, "That is my name…or so I've been told."

"Well, I'm Bella Vanielle, from Pallet Town. I've come here for my final badge."

Clair smiled, "Your _final _badge? I hope you do not become too confident, thinking 'yes, it's all over'. You may have defeated the others, but I may not be as easy as you think."

"I'm ready for the worst." I knew that she was just trying to discourage me, like Surge had tried when I was still a fresh beginner.

The blue-haired woman smiled as she walked around the pool, stopping directly across from me. She pulled a pokeball out of her coat and tossed it into the air. The blue pokemon with a yellow stomach surprised me slightly. It resembled a more masculine, and far larger Horsea, with sharp and determined crimson irises. _Kingdra, the evolved form of Seadra and Horsea. It is a water-dragon type. They're personalities can be quite vicious. They inhabit the sea. _I wasn't even aware that Seadra and Horsea had a final form. This was a surprise.

Despite the type disadvantage, I called out Pupitar. I wanted to see how he would fair against a pokemon with a type advantage over him.

"Water Gun!"

Just as the name said, liquid shot from Kingdra's snout. The water hit my pokemon, knocking him back a few paces. It was hard for Pupitar to maneuver in his current form.

"Dark Pulse!"

Black rings shot from Pupitar, missing the target as it dove under the water.

_Crap…we're at an elemental disadvantage here. _I sighed, feeling slightly vexed by this new turn of events. Deciding that it was pointless, I recalled Pupitar.

"Using a ground-type against a water-type was a stupid move," Clair called from the other side of the gym. One of her eyebrows arched, "Are you sure your ready for this eighth badge?" she asked, mocking me slightly. "And you can only have three, so you're allowed only two more. What's next, a fire-type?"

I gripped another pokeball, extended my arm, and topped the lid. It popped open, allowing ivory light to touch the ground. I watched as the light morphed into Espeon.

"Not even close," I muttered, waiting for Kingdra to resurface. My eyelids shifted, making it impossible to see my surroundings. My ability to wield my psychic powers improved after I synched with Mewtwo at Mount Quena, allowing me to use them on my own. If I linked with Espeon, her strength would increase exponentially, thus allowing her to fight Kingdra without me. My will slowly extended outward, soaring towards my intended target. I could feel my mind come in contact with something.

_Can you hear me? _

_Yes. Of course I can._

_That's good. Espeon, I need you to go underwater and take Kingdra out. I can't see him, and my psychic powers aren't strong enough for me to completely connect with your mind. _I paused, a goofy grin spreading across my face. _I'm speaking with you telepathically. _

Espeon rolled her eyes, turned away from me, and dove into the water. From her expression, I could see that Clair was baffled. Silence ensued afterwards. I calmly watched as strange lights came to life beneath the surface. The water bubbled in certain areas, and then finally came to rest.

"Bella," I turned to Gary, a confident expression on my face, "Did you…?" He was sitting on the floor, stroking his Umbreon's soft fur.

My head bobbed up and down, "Yup."

A second later, Espeon hopped onto the marble floor, an unconscious Kingdra thrown across her back. She dumped it on the ground, standing over the creature with a look of triumph. She shook her lavender fur in a vain attempt to dry it.

Clair seemed to be disappointed in her pokemon, "How did you…?"

"Espeon doesn't need me to win a battle. She's perfectly capable of working on her own, even when under water," I explained, stroking my psychic-type's beautiful fur, and then recalled her into her pokeball. A smug smirk appeared on my face, "Still think I'm not ready for that eighth badge?"

The dragon-trainer as agitated by my actions. She dismissed her defeated Kingdra, and tossed another pokeball into the air. A Gyarados appeared in the pool, causing me jump in fear. I still had not gotten over my last near death experience with this creature. Images of the Saint Anne came to mind, sending chills down my spine. Guessing from Gary's serene attitude, he has since forgotten that the incident occurred. I decided to try Pupitar again, seeing as this battle was reminiscent of the time he hatched as a Larvitar. That was first time I encountered a Gyarados.

"Ready to try again?" Pupitar nodded, a determined look in his crimson irises.

My focused on the Gyarados, determined to defeat it this time, "Dark Pulse!" The darkened rings escaped my pokemon, encircling the blue dragon-type. They closed in on it, wounding it.

Gyarados seemed to take the damage lightly, merely growling in annoyance.

"It takes quite a bit of guts and skill to train a pokemon as ferocious as Gyarados," the blue-haired woman wore a smug expression, confident in her pokemon's abilities, "From the look on your face, you've faced a Gyarados before, and Lady Luck was not on your side."

_Will she quite reminding me? _I crossed my arms over my trust and stroked my upper arms, trying to remain calm. "Hydro Pump!" I heard Clair order from across the gym.

"Counter with Hyper Beam!" I called.

A glowing beam of light shot from Pupitar's body and collided with the storm of liquid, blocking the attack from hitting the intended target.

"You should have used Espeon a little longer. Recalling a psychic-type and then calling on a ground-type to combat a water-type is a bad idea," the blue-haired female explained, "I thought you figured that out when you recalled Pupitar the first time. Guess not…Twister!"

A powerful wind current entered the room, causing Pupitar to soar into the air. Worry filled my mind as the cocoon soared in circles, slamming against the walls and ceiling as he did. He was defenseless in this form, being incapable of movement. That put him at a disadvantage. I grabbed his pokeball, and prepared to call him back.

"Alright Pupitar, that's enough!" I aimed the red and white sphere at my ground-type, about to call him back. What happened next surprised me.

I saw the creature's eyes narrow with determination upon hearing my order. Ivory lining appeared, and then slowly engulfed his body. Pupitar's body trembled violently, and then exploded. An ivory orb slowly began to take shape, dropping to the ground as it did so. A large creature came into being. It landed on the floor, causing the building to shake. When the light dispersed, I found that my precious little Larvitar had become a full grown Tyranitar. The large pokemon released a roar that caused the entire gym to vibrate, glaring at Gyarados fiercely.

"Whoa…" Gary breathed from behind me, starring at my new pokemon in awe, "…looks like our little Larvitar is all grown up."

My hands moved to my hips, a proud smile appearing on my face, "No kidding…ready to take 'em out Tyranitar?" The ground-type roared in agreement, "'Kay, use Hyper Beam!"

Another beam of light shot from his mouth, soaring straight at the water-type.

"Not so fast," Clair hissed, eyes narrowed dangerously, "Evade and use Aqua Tail!"

Gyarados swam to the side, causing the beam to hit the wall behind him. Clair's eyebrow twitched in annoyance; the result of that attack involved a gaping hole in her wall.

Water engulfed Gyarados's tail, and it swung its scale covered limb at my ground-type. Tyranitar caught Gyarados's limb, and with all of his strength, lifted his opponent upwards. Clair gazed at the display with astonishment.

"Thrash!" The green pokemon did as I said, and began swinging Gyarados around like a whip, causing it hit the walls and floor. Gary leapt to his feet and shoved me to the floor, dropping with me as Gyarados was flung in our direction. Clair had to duck a few times, looking a little uneasy with the current situation.

"Bright idea Bella!" the brunette growled at me as the blue pokemon flew over our heads. Umbreon was curled up beside us, crimson eyes narrowed.

Ignoring his comment, I called out the next attack, "Crunch!"

Tyranitar finished by biting into Gyarados's tail, earning a cry from said pokemon. He dropped it into the pool, a victorious expression on his face. The blue water-type was not finished yet, however.

"Dragon Rage!" Clair ordered, gesturing to my ground-type.

Images of my first encounter with a Gyarados's Dragon Rage attack entered my mind. _Don't tell me… _A ball of fire formed inside of the dragon's mouth. It roared as it released the attack; the flames slammed into Tyranitar, engulfing his body as they did. The flames burned away at my pokemon, causing me to worry. But my anxiety was laid to rest a moment later. The fire surrounding Tyranitar began to swirl around his body, creating a pale orange field with a point near the front. Tyranitar roared as he rushed forward, leaping into the water. The attack hit Gyarados point-blank, injuring the dragon-water-type greatly. Waves soaked the floor, drenching the rest of us who remained land.

"What was that?" I could not recall seeing that attack before.

Gary stood, shaking his wet clothes with an agitated expression on his face, "I think that was Giga Impact."

_So he just learned a new attack? _I thought as I joined my traveling partner. Relief flooded through my mind as Tyranitar climbed out of the pool, shaking the water from his body. He gave me a thumbs up. I smiled at my pokemon, wondering what stunts he would pull in the future. I saw Gyarados floating behind him; it was unconscious.

"Hmm…" Clair recalled her fallen pokemon, a thoughtful expression on her face, "…looks like karma came back and bit me on the butt, huh?"

I stroked Tyranitar's rough skin before recalling him into his pokeball. _That's what you get for being too cocky. _

"However, this next pokemon is as powerful as it is rare," she reached into her coat, pulling another pokeball from within, "and you will never guess what it is." She tapped the crimson roof, causing it to open.

The pokemon that appeared before me was rare indeed. A long, large snake-like being appeared in the pool. Its body, save for its snow-white stomach, was an azure blue. Ivory horns shapped like wings protruded from the sides of its head, like ears. A small, white pointed horn was added to its forehead. A dark, sapphire blue jewel was embedded in the crook of its neck. Dark, reddish-brown irises gazed at us. Its body resembled a graceful snake. A strange, gentle aura engulfed my body, causing me to feel serene, and a tad weary. _Dragonair, the evolved from of Dratini. It is a dragon-type. They are said to have the power to control the weather. It emits a calming aura from their body, which can be felt by both humans and pokemon alike. This pokemon is capable of flying despite its lack of wings. They can shed their skin to rid themselves of dangerous ailments. Dragonair are docile pokemon. Yet despite their gentle nature, they are extremely powerful pokemon. They are rarely seen in the wild, but they can be found in lakes and seas. _

Dratini was a rare pokemon, so its evolved form was even more so. Dragonite was almost impossible to find; it was the final form of Dratini and Dragonair. It was to be expected that an expert on dragon pokemon would have one, but a surprise nonetheless.

"I have raised Dragonair from the time she hatched from an egg; soon, she will evolve into Dragonite," Clair declared proudly, smiling at me arrogantly, "Do you have any pokemon that can match her strength?"

Fighting a Dragonair would not be an easy task. But there was one pokemon in my arsenal suited for the job.

"Actually, I do." I grabbed his pokeball, taking some time to examine it.

It had been so long since I called on him. Images of past battles entered my mind. _Welcome back… _I tossed his pokeball into the air, allowing snow-colored light to appear. The sphere landed in my waiting hand. The light morphed into my starter. Charizard released a roar that echoed throughout the room as he landed in front of me, shooting flames into the air in challenge.

"Been a while, huh buddy?" I asked. Sure, I had just been with him at Mount Quena. But it has been quite a while since Charizard and I fought alongside each other in an official gym match.

The orange pokemon grinned at me, roaring in excitement. His head stooped down, nuzzling my cheek. He growled with glee as I stroked his snout. "Ready?" He nodded his head and stomped towards the pool, eyes set with determination.

Clair hesitated before giving the order, eyeing my Charizard curiously, "Hyper Beam!" A multi-colored light formed inside of Dragonair's now open mouth, and fired at my orange dragon.

"Dragon Rage!"

A glowing fireball formed from dephs of Charizard's throat and flew forward. The ball devoured Dragonair's Hyper Beam, creating a small explosion in the center of the wide pool.

"Shock Wave!"

Dragonair released a loud cry, causing azure colored electricity to dance around my fire-type.

"Use Fire Spin to guard yourself!"

Flames erupted from Charizard's mouth, swirling around his body like an angered serpent. The lightning struck the wall of fire, but was unable to reach the intended target. When the flames died down, Charizard opened his mouth once more. Azure colored flames shot forward, consuming the surprised Dragonair.

I checked my pokédex and found that the attack was called Will-O-Wisp.

"Good, now use Fire Blast!"

"Ice Beam!"

The kanji made of fire flew forward, only to be dispelled as a frozen beam cut straight though it, hitting the fully evolved fire-type. Charizard roared as the ice attack landed, and stumbled back.

"Are you okay?" I was worried about my partner's wellbeing.

He nodded and stood firm, growling deeply. "Slash!"

"Surf!"

Dragonair's tail swished back and forth dangerously, kicking up water. Soon, a large wave rose into the air. Gary grabbed my hand and pulled me back; Umbreon followed as we stepped back. But I refused to step by and allow my pokemon to suffer. I broke from his grasp and moved to stand where I had been before, braving the watery onslaught. Charizard threw up his arms, guarding himself as the wave hit. I sprinted forward and stopped behind my dragon pokemon, wrapping my arms around the tip of his tail. Cold liquid splashed around me as wave descended, drenching the both of us.

"Are you okay, Charizard?" I asked, looking up at said pokemon.

He grunted and lunged forward, flying across the pool with his arm raised. Dragonair tried to dodge the attack, but my starter's sharp talons managed to pierce its flesh, leaving a deep gash in its side.

Clair was eyeing me strangely as she called on her pokemon, "Iron Tail!"

"Seismic Toss!"

The glowing tail descended upon my pokemon, but Charizard managed to catch its tail. He flew into the air with Dragonair into, spun in a complete circle, and tossed it to the ground. The dragon pokemon slammed onto the floor in front of its blue-haired trainer. Its body shook as it slithered back into the pool, glaring at Charizard fiercely.

"Ice Beam!"

"Flamethrower!"

Fire and ice clashed once more, causing an explosion of thick of fog to fill the room, blinding us. I was not about to lose to Clair.

"Overheat!"

"Iron Tail!"

Charizard's limbs caught fire as he descended upon Dragonair. The blue pokemon's tail lashed out against him, leaving a deep bleeding gash in his side. Meanwhile, Charizard's enflamed limbs collided with the dragon-type, burning it badly.

"Ice Beam!"

The frozen attacked hit Charizard point-blank, sending him spiraling backwards and hitting the hard floor in front of me.

"Can you keep fighting?" He got to his feet as a response, growling angrily, "Good, now unleash you're…"

Clair was just as determined to defeat me as I was to beat her, "Dragonair, use you're…"

"Dragon Rage!!!" We shouted simultaneously.

Two large fire-based attacks were unleashed at the same time. They collided, creating an ivory ball that blew apart like data particles on a computer. I recoiled from the blast, waiting for the darkened smoke to clear. Once it had, I saw that Dragonair was floating on the water, too tired to continue. Charizard was standing in front of me, his entire body shaking violently. He was on the verge of collapsing.

"Charizard!" I ran to partner as he fell to the floor. I knelt beside him and stroked his head; he grinned and gave me a thumbs up. I hugged my starter's head, "You were great out there." I encouraged, stroking his orange snout.

"Dragonair!" Clair called from across the gym. She leapt into the pool and swam to her unconscious pokemon, embracing the blue serpent's head. After a minute she recalled her pokemon and swam to my side of the pool. She climbed onto the marble floor and stopped beside Charizard and me, a serious expression on her face.

"You're a good trainer…" she muttered, looking a little annoyed, "…but, I refuse to acknowledge you as the winner."

My jaw fell, "Why? I beat you fair and square!"

"No you haven't," she placed her hands on her hips, and smirked, "at least, not yet," now I was confused, "a true trainer does not rely on her pokemon alone. You must overcome one more test before I give you your badge."

My eyes turned downwards, examining my current condition. I was soaked and there was a burn mark on my shirt from when I guarded Charizard's flame. _Might as well get it over with now. _"So what do you want me to do?"

"Go to Dragon's Den and find a Dragon Fang, then bring it to me. If you can do that, then I will acknowledge you as the victor," Clair explained, "also, you must do this without the aid of your pokemon."

Going inside such a place would be dangerous without my pokemon. But if I wanted the badge, then I had to do this. A sigh escaped my lips as I turned to Gary. My hands snatched all of the pokeballs from my belt, and I handed them to him.

"Are you really going through with this?" he asked in disbelief.

My head bobbed up and down, "Yes, I am. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Charizard growled in worry, but I simply patted his head. "I'll be fine. Promise," I turned to Clair, my eyes narrowed slightly, "Where's Dragon's Den?"

"Behind me gym." Was her reply.

With everything said and done, I walked out of the gym…

**End of this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	45. Chapter 45

**And here is the next chapter. Also, I went back and changed Jimmy's name to Garret Johnson, with Jimmy being his nickname. He is named 'Garret' as a reference to 'Gold'. Silver's real name will have a similar effect, and it will be revealed in the sequel. I also changed Red's name to Ryan Thomson; his name is 'Ryan' because it is a reference to 'Red' (both of them starting with an 'R', like 'Garret' and 'Gold'). Also, I changed Gabriel's (do any of you remember him?) earlier line to the actual name of the phobia of bugs. His full name will be revealed near the end of this fic, and he will appear some time soon. **

**This one is extremely short, but here it is…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 44: Nostalgic **

"_Age is a very high price to pay for maturity._"

-Tom Stoppard

After my battle with Clair, the gym leader of Blackthorn City, I found myself heading to the back of the building. There, I found a stream that led to a large lake. The entire city was surrounded by large canyon-like walls, excluding the entrance. The gym was placed near one of the walls; separating the two was a deep lake. The entrance to a darkened cavern lay behind it. I circled the lake and made my way to the entrance. Running water splashed around my foot as climbed into the entrance of the hole, and began walking along the stream.

The light dimmed as I moved through the cave, going deeper and deeper.

Eventually, I came to an area that would have been devoured by the claws of darkness, had it not been for the strange elements around me.

Glowing, azure colored crystals lit the way, giving the cave a radiant glow.

I continued onward after starring at the crystals in wonder, determined to earn my eighth badge.

As I wandered through the darkness, I found a small building. It was made of wood, and seemed to be ancient. From the looks of it, it a dead end. I opened the door and stepped inside. There was a lack of any furniture. All I could see was a door, which was directly across from me. I crossed the room and stepped through the door. Wide caverns awaited me.

I began moving through the darkness, wondering which cavern I should choose. I paused when I noticed that the ground vanished from beneath my feet. I looked down, quickly discovering that I walked off of the edge of a cliff. _DAMN IT!!! _I jerked around, trying to grab at the rocky cliff side, but I was already too far away. Cries of fear ripped through the air as I plummeted into the darkness below, only a few crystals illuminating my path.

My scream was short lived as I hit a freezing cold lake, sinking below the watery surface. My arms and legs flailed about me as I swam upwards, breaking through the water and gasping for air.

The current seemed to rule my movements, dragging me forward. I tried to swim and fight it, but it was too strong. Soon, I found myself moving through a long tunnel. My body slammed into the rocky sides painfully, and at random moments I was pulled under. I managed to keep my head up long enough to see that I was brought to a large room, illuminated by crystals. I kicked and swung my arms, trying to stay up, just to be drug underneath the water once more. Just as fear began to settle in my heart, I felt a hand close around one of my palms, which was hovering above the surface.

A powerful surface jerked me out of the rapid river and onto the rocky ground.

My body convulsed violently as I gasped for air, spitting up water as I did. My throat, lungs, and body were sore from the rapids, and I just wanted to find the Dragon Fang and leave.

"Are you alright?"

I recognized that voice. I faced the one I prayed never to meet again. The redheaded boy was crouching beside me, a bored expression on his face.

"What're _you _doing here?" I barked and jumped to my feet.

Silver gracefully rose to his feet and passed me. He stopped in front of a rock slab. He crossed his arms over his chest, his index finger and thumb resting on his chin.

Carefully, I approached the thinking male. "Excuse me?"

"What?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"Why are you down here?" I made sure to keep my distance from him while examining the stone slab.

Ancient lettering was inscribed on the stone. It was impossible for me to read, and it seemed to be giving the redhead some trouble.

"I'm checking something…" he muttered, "…and what about you?"

I was busy trying to decipher what he was reading, but I answered anyway, "Looking for a Dragon Fang so that Clair will give me a Rising Badge."

"I see…you should check the shallow streams. You can find them there." Silver mumbled as he continued to gaze at the wall.

I found it strange that he was helping me. But instead of questioning his generosity, I walked away and began searching for a stream. After a moment, I found a small stream near a few crystals. There, I saw a small fang. I picked it and returned to the redheaded teen's side. I held it up in the dim light, "This it?"

He glanced at then returned his vision to the slab, "Yes," turned away from the slab and pointed to a path leading upwards, "That leads back to the entrance. If you're done, then go."

I hesitated, wondering whether I should believe him or not.

I did not have anymore leads, so I decided to go with the idea. Without saying another word, I ascended the path, hoping that this was not a trick.

My prayers were answered as I found the small shack, and carefully made my way towards it. I ran across the room and headed along the path, soon coming to the outside of Dragon's Den. I made my way around the lake and sprinted to the front of the gym, throwing the doors open. My legs came to a stop as I neared Clair, Gary, Umbreon, and Charizard.

"Back!" I called, waving the Dragon's Fang in the air as I did.

"Bella!" the brunette ran to my side, his eyes wide with shock, "What happened to you? You're covered in cuts and bruises, your clothes are torn, and look like a Blastoise used Hydro Pump on you a dozen times!"

I looked at Clair pointedly, "Well, if it weren't for a certain _someone, _I wouldn't have fallen off of a cliff, landed in a lake, a current wouldn't have drug me through a cavern, I wouldn't have been scratched up on the wall, now would I?" Both Charizard and Gary glared at her, while Umbreon yawned and licked its paw, cleaning its face.

Despite the glares that were aimed at her, Clair approached me in a business-like manner and held her hand out, "So I'll assume that you did as I asked?"

"Of course," I handed the badge to her, growling angrily, "I better get a badge for almost dying in a cave…"

She chuckled, "I don't have the right to deny your request after what you have been through," she reached into her cloak and pulled a small badge out, handing it to me after taking her fang, "Here."

I snatched it from her hand, smiling as though Christmas had come early, "Yes! Finally, I can enter the freakin' Silver Conference." The Rising Badge resembled a dragon's head. It was black, outlined with dark crimson. I added it to the case, which carried my Zephyr Badge, Hive Badge, Plain Badge, Fog Badge, Mineral Badge, Storm Badge, and my Glacier Badge. I set the case in my pack, which I had left in the gym before I left, and slung it over my shoulder.

"I'll come for my badge tomorrow, 'kay?" Gary called as I recalled my exhausted Charizard and followed him to the door.

Clair crossed her arms over her chest, grinning, "I'll be waiting."

The two of us exited the gym and made our way through Blackthorn City, heading straight to the Pokemon Center. There, Nurse Joy took my pokemon, and we rented another room. The pink-haired nurse also drug me to the back, where she gave me some hospital-styled clothes. She took my old clothes away, promising to fix them by the morning. Her Chansey took care of my cuts, bruises, and scratches before allowing me to go to the dining area with Gary. We ate a quick dinner before I retired to bed, feeling completely drained…

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The next morning, I awoke to an empty room. Gary was already gone; he probably left to challenge Clair. I took my time getting up, opting to take a quick shower before asking Nurse Joy if she was finished with my clothes. When I was cleaned, I ran downstairs, finding said woman waiting for me. She gave my patched clothing to me, and I returned to the upstairs. I changed and packed my things before running downstairs and giving the woman the clothes she let me borrow.

Next, she handed my pokemon back to me.

I placed them on my belt and then plopped onto the couch, deciding to wait for Gary. A few hours later, he appeared in the center. Unlike me, he had only one injury. It was in the form of a bleeding gash on his right thigh. He limped into the center and handed his pokemon to the nurse, who drug him to the back. Several minutes later, he appeared in his normal attire, his pounded patched up.

"Dragon Fang?" I asked, looking at him curiously. I moved so that he could join me on the couch.

He nodded, sighing and shaking his head, "That woman is insane, sending us to such a dangerous place."

"So I guess Pallet is our next stop, seeing as we have how long until the Silver Conference…?"

"Three months."

That gave me plenty of time to prepare my pokemon. We did not say another word as we waited for Nurse Joy. Several minutes passed before she called on Gary, who left to grab his pokemon. He walked towards me while placing said creatures into his pack.

"Let's go…we've got a long walk ahead of us." He headed to the door.

A small smile spread across my lips as I followed him.

Once outside, I watched as Gary began heading towards the entrance of the city. Meanwhile, I snatched a pokeball off of my built and tapped it. My Kanto starter appeared, roaring loudly. The brunette stopped in his tracks and turned to face me, finding me standing beside Charizard.

"Who said we have to walk?" My orange pokemon growled in agreement.

He smiled and shook his head as he returned to my side, "Lazy."

"Proud of it." I climbed onto the dragon's back and waited for Gary to do the same. After he was on the fire-type's back, Charizard flapped his powerful wings, ascending into the blue sky above us…

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Several days passed as we flew over Johto. When my starter grew tired, we stopped and switched to Arcanine. We rode to the canine until it lost its energy, and then continued on foot until we found a Pokemon Center. The cycle continued afterwards. It took a week for us to arrive in Kanto, and only a few hours on Arcanine's back to reach our hometown. We passed the Indigo Plateau and went through Viridian City. So many memories. Through Route One, we reached our small hometown.

Pallet was just as we left it. Small, and placed in a vast, vibrant green field.

Arcanine soared through the green fields with the both of us riding on its back. The canine stopped outside of Professor Oak's laboratory. I leapt off of its back and sprinted to the door, smiling as I rang the doorbell. Gary recalled his pokemon and joined me, looking a little excited. I rang the bell a second time.

It swung open, revealing a familiar old man. Professor Oak stared at us for a moment before realizing who we were.

"Gary! Bella! Your back," he moved to the side so that we could enter, "Come in, come in."

We did as he said, and entered his lab. It looked the same when I first met Charizard two years ago. It just hit me that I was sixteen. During my travels, I completely forgot about my birthday. _Yes! I'm old enough to get a driver's license! _I followed Gary through the lab and to the door in the back. He opened the door, and we stepped into what appeared to be Professor Oak's living room.

"I want you tell me all about your travels in Johto," the gray-haired man said. He sounded like an excited child as he sat on one of the couches. He had two, with a coffee table being between them.

Gary and I occupied the other couch, wondering where we should begin.

First, Gary explained how he went to New Bark Town after leaving Pallet. He left it almost immediately and went straight to Cherrygrove City. He explained how he went to the Illusionary Forest and borrowed a Hoothoot from a creepy little old lady. He mentioned that he ran into Jimmy and me in the same forest, and escorted us to Violet City. His explanation continued on to how he defeated different gym leaders, and eventually ran into me. He did not go into detail, but he did say that we both decided to travel together. Then he continued on about our adventures together, mentioning our meeting Celebi and Suicune. He left Mewtwo and Mount Quena out. This continued until Blackthorn City, where he finished.

Then it was my turn. I told him how I went to New Bark Town and got Cyndaquil, then moved. Jimmy and I had been travel partners for a while, but then I decided to go on my own after we earned our first badges. I never explained to him why I decided to go with Gary later. I told him how I met the Unown and the exact details of went on at Greenfield. Yes, he was there. But he did not see what happened inside of the mansion when it was under the psychic pokemon's possession. I even told him what happened to Entei. I was not sure whether he already knew about that; Molly may have told the researchers who were in charge of her at that time. I went to explain my gym battles and running into Gary again, this time teaming up with him. I also mentioned Suicune and Celebi, but left Mewtwo and Mount Quena out. Neither one of us mentioned Team Rocket.

"Also," I reached into my pack and pulled my sketchbook out. I handed it to him, "I've managed to draw a picture of them." I flipped to my picture of Suicune, Sam, Celebi, Pikachu, and Larvitar.

Professor Oak looked at the picture with astonishment. A distant look appeared in his eyes.

"Gramps?" Gary asked, a curious expression on his face.

He looked at the boy while handing my sketchbook back, "Sorry, I was just surprised by how good you are. You've improved."

"Thanks." I placed the sketchpad back inside of my pack.

A second later, a familiar face appeared at the door.

"Professor, you got…hm?"

I was surprised to find Tracey standing at the door. He looked the same as when we first met almost a year ago. He seemed to feel the same, "Bella? Is that you?"

I grinned, "Nope, I'm the Tooth Fairy."

"Of course you are," he laughed, and moved to stand near the couch, "how've you been?"

"Fine…what are you doing in Pallet?"

His smile grew, "I'm working as Professor Oak's assistant. I decided to take up the job after Ash, Misty and I came back from the Orange Islands. What're you doing back so early?"

"Gary and I got all eight of our badges, so we decided to come back home." I announced, feeling proud of myself.

_Hmm… _I rose to my feet and began walking towards the door. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to my mom," I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, and turned to see that Gary was about to follow, "you don't have to come with me Gary…we're home now." The brunette stopped in mid-step, a strange expression on his face.

"Oh…yeah." He sat on the couch again, looking unsure of himself.

I left Professor Oak's home and began moving down the dirt path that extended into Pallet Town. _This is where I met Charizard, back when he was still a Charmander. This is where my journey first began. _It was hard to believe that two years had already passed, and that I was already sixteen. I came to a stop in front of a familiar door. My hand reached out to it and turned the knob. The door opened, and I stepped inside.

The living room looked the same. Only there was another face waiting.

Irina Vanielle, my older sister, was lounging on the couch when I entered the house. She was busy watching the television and stroking her Vaporeon's head. Her once long, light brown tresses were near cut so that they only reached her shoulders. When short, her hair resembled brown waves. She wore a dark grey shirt with a black butterfly design on the right side. Dark blue, denim jeans covered her legs. On her feet, she wore nothing but a pair of ivory socks.

Irina cocked her head so that I was within her peripheral vision, "Your home?"

"No, I'm having an out of body experience." was my sarcastic reply. I dropped my pack on the floor. My arms extended above my head, stretching the stiff muscles.

"Welcome back," she turned her attention back to the television, "Have fun with your _boyfriend._"

I was planning to sit in the chair beside the couch, but her comment caused my bed to jerk to a stop. My head slowly turned so that I could glare at her, "_What _did you say?"

I could see the mischievous grin plastered across her face, "Professor Oak told us about you and Gary traveling together. So have you two finally declared your undying love for each other?"

"No." I dropped into the chair and kicked my shoes off, a sigh escaping my lips as I laid back.

"Liar." She whispered; the dialect she used to replace her true accent sounded like a rip-off of French.

My eyes returned to her form, eyebrows furrowing even more, "Why are you home? Aren't you supposed to be across the continent?"

"This is my house too," she grumbled, "and I succeeded in getting both a Leafeon and a Glaceon. So I decided to come home."

A thought occurred to me, something that was forced from my mind. I felt uneasy bringing it up, but I wondered if they knew. "So…do you know?"

This seemed to baffle my sibling, "Know what? About your romantic feelings for Gary?" A laugh escaped her mouth, "Bella, _everyone _already knows about that."

"I do _not _have romantic feelings for Gary!" I spat angrily. _Okay, yes I do. But I won't be admitting that anytime soon. We're friends. Just friends. _"And no, that's not what I mean…" images of Mount Quena came to mind. "…I mean…" I gulped, "…do you know that Dad is dead?"

Mirth melted from my sister's face, being completely replaced by an expression that was colder then ice. In a flat voice, she replied, "Yes…the police contacted us…how do you know?"

_Should I tell her? _Irina was not very dense. There was a chance that she discovered our family's involvement with Team Rocket.

"Do you know…about our family's involvement with Team Rocket?"

Worry swirled deep within her eyes, "Yes…Mom told me three years ago. She told me everything. Why?"

"Well…during my time as a trainer…I've had to deal with them on multiple occasions," I regretted telling her, but it was too late to take it back. She did not say a word, waiting for me to go on, "First…I was on the Saint Anne when it was attacked by Team Rocket and sunk. Then I was stranded on a weird island for at least a day, but I managed to escape with my friends, who were with me at the time. Later, after defeating the Celadon gym leader, I infiltrated Team Rocket's base in the city, only to encounter their boss and then I was kidnapped. Later, I was brought to Saffron City, where I was experimented on. But my friends came, and our cousin, Sabrina, came and rescued me. After that, Team Rocket abandoned the city, seeing as we destroyed their lab, so it was no longer useful to them anymore.

"Later, in Johto, I encountered Team Rocket a few times. I stopped them from killing Slowpoke, and then eventually encountered a hunter from their team who seemed to have a god complex…and he looked like one of those male dancers you see in Brittany Spears' music videos…he tried to capture me for their boss, but then his god complex appeared after he caught me and a Celebi, and tried to use it to complicate life for other people. This guy had _way_ to much time on his hands. Anyway, my friends and I managed to kick his ass, and then I encountered Team Rocket again at a mountain. There, I met their leader again. He told me that they murdered our Dad. That's why I know.

"And you don't need to worry, because I haven't encountered them since, and I they will never bother me again…at least, not for the reasons from before, anyway." I finished.

Irina absorbed all of the information I relayed to her. I expected her to explode at me, but to my surprise, she remained calm. "So her plan worked?" she muttered.

"Huh?" I was dumbfounded. _What plan? _

"And how come Team Rocket won't bother you for the old reasons anymore?" she pried, her eyes glued to my own. "Did something happen to that strange pokemon they were designing?"

I decided to be honest with her, "No. He's still around. In fact, said pokemon helped me whip every member's memories clean. To them, the Vanielle family and the project surrounding cloned pokemon never existed."

"A pokemon that can manipulate one's memories?" That tidbit of information seemed to interest her. "Interesting…what happened to the pokemon?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. He left the mountain. He told me that he wanted to 'find his purpose in life'."

"And a pokemon that can speak the human tongue…" this seemed to amaze her as well, "…I've heard of pokemon that can do that, but I thought they were all legendaries."

"Which are not legends, seeing as I have encountered six of them," I held up palms and flashed the number in the air, "Lugia, Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, Celebi, and Suicune..." _And Mew…but Irina doesn't need to know that I befriended a Mew when I was little. _

She stroked her chin in thought, "You'll have to give me all of the details later. I want to know what you've been doing"

"Yes, later," But something else was far more important, "Now what plan are you talking about? Who's?"

"Mine."

I looked at the door to the kitchen, finding my mother standing there. She wore her pajamas, and her hair was disheveled. Obviously, she took a nap earlier in the day. _How long has she been in the kitchen though? And what does she mean? _"Hey, Mom…what're you talking about?"

She strode past the chair and sat on the couch beside Irina and Vaporeon. There was a small sigh before she decided to begin, "I know about the experiments, obviously. Naturally, that would mean that I am aware that you were once on Team Rocket's most wanted list. Now, why would a mother let her fourteen-year-old daughter become a pokemon trainer and travel around on her own if she was aware of this? Well, keeping you locked in the house and protecting you your entire life is not a good idea. This was your problem, and I needed to give you a chance to resolve it without me holding your hand. I prayed that you did not encounter them, even though I know the chances were slim. And it seems that you have had to deal with them on a number of occasions…and yes, I knew the dangers involved with this…but it had to be done.

"Resolving such an issue would contribute to your growth as an individual, and it would make your life easier in the future. But there was chance that you would join them, or that you…that you would have lost your life. But everyday holds a chance for one to lose their life, so that cannot be avoided. Yet…in the end, you survived, and you found a way to save yourself from them, right? So, my judgment was correct. Everything went according to plan," She was smiling at me, although she seemed to feel guilt as well, "I know that putting you in danger was…it, makes me a horrible mother…but I felt that it needed to happen."

It was difficult to register everything she told me. I never knew that my mother had her own agenda when she told me that I was allowed to leave Pallet as a trainer. She wanted me to resolve the conflict with Team Rocket. She did not delude herself into thinking that I would be victorious; the chance of my failure existed within her mind. And yet, she gave me a chance to take matters into my own hands, and to decide my own fate. Another reason I was close to my mother.

"No…you're not a horrible mother for doing that," I replied, my voice even, "more parents should do that. Just because I'm a teenager doesn't I can't do something for myself; I mean, it's _my _future that is on the line. But…what I don't understand is why I couldn't remember any of this. What happened?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, "Several years ago, when you were enrolled in their project, when Mewtwo was young, it lost control after the deaths of the other clones. A few days later, they tried to sync the two of you again. However, its mind was too unstable, and the rebound seemed to affect your memories. That was around the time I decided to divorce your father; not even the rebound was enough to convince him to back out."

My face fell slightly, "So…where was he…?"

"In the cemetery near Pallet." She replied.

With the information in my mind, I rose to my feet and headed to the front door. I stepped outside and began walking along the dirt trail. Near Pallet, there was a cemetery. I should have known that they would lay him to rest in my hometown, seeing as this is where he originated from.

I had to traverse the dirt paths of Pallet Town, along with a wide grassy plain before I found the cemetery.

Tombstones dotted where the dead slept. Some were old, the words having faded into the dephs of time. I knew some of the names on the more stones that were still legible. Some were neighbors, some I met at the church my family used to attend…and others. I paused when I saw a trio of tombstones with the surname 'Oak' beside their given and middle names. I knew the people who were buried there. They were Gary's parents.

At one time in his life, Gary had an older sister. Her name was Daisy. He once lived with this sister, along with their parents. His father worked at the bank in Viridian City, while his mother was a housewife, staying home to raise their children. His sister, Daisy, become a trainer at the age of ten. She was a talented Coordinator, something their family learned when she participated in a contest only months after receiving her pokemon. At the age of eleven, she decided to pursue her dream and become a Coordinator fulltime. Gary was three. His parents were going to watch her performance. But their son contracted the flu, so they were tempted to cancel. But Professor Oak offered to look after his grandson and told them to go on. So, they took his advice.

That was their first mistake. On the way back from the competition, a drunk driver collided with their car. Gary's mother, who was sitting in the front passenger's seat, died on impact. His father neglected to wear a seatbelt; he never seemed to like the apparatus. Meanwhile, the shock from the collision caused Daisy to have a heart attack. Her pokemon, Marill, was sitting in her lap. I believe it died as well, although I did not the cause of its demise. Professor Oak took over as Gary's guardian afterwards. A majority of my childhood memories had been reduced to a blur due to time, but if there is one thing I do remember at the age of three, is the funeral. That was first time I saw the Professor weep. What was worse, Gary kept questioning his grandfather, not understanding the reason behind placing his parents and sister underground.

Brian Oak was the name of the Professor's son, and his daughter-in-law was known as Leah Oak. They were family friends, so their deaths were hard on my mother and sister as well. I was too young to really know them, not too much I did not understand the concept of death at the time. So I was just as confused as Gary.

I suppose that is why Gary developed a superiority complex by the age of ten, which continued until a year ago. It was due to the loss of his family, whom he could not remember. That is the reason I had trouble staying mad at him. That was another reason he was so hard on his old rival, Ash. In a way, he seemed to be jealous of him. Although he lacked one parent, he still had his mother. Gary lived his life without either of them; but he and his grandfather got along well.

And then there was another question. Where was Ash's father? Well, from what my mother told me, his father attended the Oak's funeral. So he was still present in Pallet at the time. She told me that when Ash was six, he left to compete in the League. He used to call his wife on a daily basis, but after two years, the calls ended. He never returned. There was an investigation, but from the sound of their report, the man seemed to have just vanished from the face of the earth. His father was one of the reasons Ash was inspired to become a pokemon trainer himself, that and to stay ahead of Gary, who became his rival at the age of eleven. Gary's reason to become a trainer stemmed from his admiration of his grandfather.

I became a trainer because I admired my mother, who once competed in the Indigo League when she was younger. That is where she met my father. The two were pitted against each other, battling as though their very lives depended on it. The fight ended with a draw. At first they were bitter rivals, but then they grew to become close friends. Things escalated from there.

I came to a stop in front of the stone I had been searching for.

_Eric Patrick Raine…the year of his birth and death…R.I.P… _That was all the proof I needed.

My father had passed to the other side. He was gone.

Like on Mount Quena, it was hard to decipher the emotions I felt. I was not sure whether hated or loved him. I felt bitter about the things he put me through, and yet I could not bring myself to curse his name. The man was an enigma, really. From how my mother described him, he was never 'evil', as how Team Rocket members are often portrayed. However, he made decisions that she did not agree with, and so they separated in the end. She never told me why he decided to join the crime world. I guessed that he was seduced by the idea of gaining wealth.

I could remember very little of him, mostly because of Mewtwo whipping my memories and I probably repressed a few of them. But from what I could remember, he was very loving towards me at times. Other times, he would explode over the smallest of complications. His temper was atrocious. As a result, I had mixed feelings about him.

I was surprised when my face seemed to warm. My right index finger reached up and stroked my cheek. When I pulled it away, I found that it was moist. A tear.

_I guess it's only natural. _I whipped my finger off on my shirt, my eyes attached to the name on the tombstone.

I did not expect what happened next. My shoulders convulsed without warning, and I began to weep. Tears streamed my cheeks as I mourned over my father's death, causing my throat to burn. I jumped when a felt a pair of arms snake around my waist. I cocked my head to the side, and found that it was Gary embracing me. I continued to cry, while he held me silently…

**And here's some GaryxBella fluff near the end. I decided to give an explanation for his parent's absence, seeing as they never appear in the anime nor are they even mentioned. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	46. Chapter 46

**Thank-you for your reviews. Yes, Silver was nice for the first time in this story. Like I said, I made some major changes to his personality. He was acting too…cliché, in my opinion. And here is the next movie chapter…**

**This one is extremely short, but here it is…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 45: Race **

"_All who call on God in true faith,_

_Earnestly from the heart,_

_Will certainly be heard,_

_And will receive what they have asked for and desired._"

-Martin Luther

Clear azure blue, dotted with ivory clouds hung above the land. The golden sun illuminated the region, allowing the inhabitants to wake from their slumber and view the world around them. A heard of Lapras swam in the blue ocean, emitting melodies filled to the brim with merriment. Most assumed that this vast sea would be without land, however, that assumption was incorrect. For there was one city placed in the dead center of the ocean. The city was quite large; most country dwellers would find it impossible to memorize the layout. Old, mostly white buildings with added brown-orange roofs made the city. Some of the homes and stores were decorated with blues, pink, and a few yellows. Canals cut through the city at random points, the edges dotted with small boats. This city was known as Alto Mare, or the City of Water.

Today, the canals were forced to create a clear path. Hordes of humans crowded the streets and bridges, all of them screaming with excitement and joy.

Outsiders would question the reasoning behind such excitement. However, the residents knew why they should be cheering. For today was the annual water pokemon only competition; a race where trainers and their pokemon would race through the canals to win a special prize that can only be found in Alto Mare.

In the center of one such river, two pools were planted into the cobblestone sidewalks, each across from the other. Hovering over the water was a large television screen. This was both the starting and finishing line. Below the screen, the crowds on the streets had a clear view of the competitors.

One was a young boy, standing a hot-pink glider, lined with round, dark blue designs. He bore short, dark brown hair. His skin was heavily tanned. Dark brown irises nervously awaited the cry that would echo throughout the city. The only top that protected his torso was a sleeveless, bright orange lifejacket. Dark green, knee-length shorts covered his rear and legs. His feet remained bare. The pokemon he was using for the competition was a dark purple star, made of crystal. The stair seemed to be two put together, as it had more arms then usual. A crimson gem mounted on gold acted as its eyes. This pokemon was known as a Starmie, native to both the Kanto and Johto regions.

Beside this boy stood a young lady, possibly in her late teens. Her long, dark brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, to keep from blinding herself. Sunglasses protected her eyes from the scorching rays. She wore a one-piece, dark, brown-red bathing suit that branched off into knee-length shorts near the bottom. The sides were lined with gold. Her pokemon was a vibrant, azure blue feline. Ivory fins wrapped around its neck, like a bushy collar. A trio of dark blue fins, the insides being a sandy color with added yellow, protruded from its head. Black sclera with ivory pupils glanced around, curious. The tip of its tail was shapped like a fish's tail, adding to the fact that it was a water-type. Its name was Vaporeon, and it too was native to both Kanto and Johto.

On the other side of this young lady, there was another. She was either sixteen or seventeen. Her medium length, bright orange hair was tied into a ponytail on the left side of her head; her bangs hung freely, although they were too short to blind her. Her skin was surprisingly light, considering how much time she spent in the outdoors. She wore a bright yellow tank-top that was cut so that part of her stomach was exposed. A pale pink lifejacket would protect her incase she was forced to dismount the silver and blue glider. She wore denim blue shorts, and her feet were bare. The pokemon of her choice was a pink and blue creature, spikes protruding from its back. Its name was Corsola, and it was native to the Johto region.

By her side was one of her companions, a young boy who was either fifteen or sixteen years of age. His short, black hair was spiked and messy, giving him a more childlike appearance. He proudly wore his white and red cap with a dark green checkmark on the front; he won it in a contest hosted by the Pokemon League. His skin was tanned deeply. Determined yet friendly chocolate colored irises were glued to the path ahead of him. He wore a short-sleeved, baggy black t-shirt on his torso. Green, fingerless gloves protected his palms. Light blue knee-length swim trunks lined with white covered his upper legs. He rode on a pale yellow glider, red added to the design. His pokemon of choice was a small, energetic, vibrant blue crocodile with crimson spikes protruding from its back. Cute, crimson eyes allowed it sight. It hopped in and out of the water, ready for action.

On the right hand side of the raven haired teen there was another boy, around the same age as him. He bore short, black hair with a lavender tint. A black and gold cap that was placed backwards on his head kept his hair from falling into his eyes; one bang, however, was allowed to protrude from the back. Excited, dark grey eyes that cold rival the other males' were glued to the canal. A short-sleeved, baggy black t-shirt billowed around his torso. Dark yellow swim trunks lined with black was worn instead of his usual shorts. Like the other boy, his feet were bare. His choice was a light blue seahorse, sharp, black irises ready to handle anything. Its name was Seadra, which was also native to both Kanto and Johto.

The last competitor that was placed in the front line was a young girl, the same age as the two males before her. Her long blue tresses were tied into two pigtails. Emerald green eyes smiled at boy beside her in challenge. She wore a white, one-piece bathing suit with a pink bow tied around her waist. Her pokemon of choice was actually her starter, a blue crocodile that was larger then the raven haired male's Totodile. It was fiercer, and the yellow designs around its stomach made it seem as though it wore a ripped toga. The spikes were longer, too. This pokemon was dubbed as Croconaw, the evolved form of Totodile. The other competitors were lined up behind them, too difficult to view.

The commentator was sitting near a table on the cobblestone sidewalk, scanning the competitors.

He held the microphone up to his lips, using it to expand his voice, "_Testing, testing…good day ladies and gentlemen!_ _It's a beautiful day for our Annual Water-Chariot Festival_," a swarm of Pidgey flew over his head as he spoke, "_and it looks like this year's competition is even more fierce then before! Are you ready for the main event!? The names of this years competitors are…_" he slid a list off of the table in front of him and looked at it, "_…Alexander Stone, Yolei Martin, Misty Kasumi, Ash Ketchum, Garret Johnson, Marina Norrington, Samuel Ross…_" the list continued onward.

The man finished off the names, sounding a little bored. Once he was done, he finished his line, "_When you hear the Zatu, that's your cue to go!_" Zatu was a green bird-like Pokemon. Its pre-evolved forms sat on top of its head, theirs wings expanding. When the Zatu spoke, a ring exploded into the city.

"Let's go!" the raven haired teen, Ash Ketchum, shouted.

The competitors took immediately, their pokemon moving as fast as they could. Garret, who preferred for others to refer to him as Jimmy, kept his eyes on Marina. Said girl did the same, both of them determined to beat the other.

When crossing under the bridge, they noticed that a yellow, electric pokemon known as a Pikachu fell from the bridge, landing on Ash Ketchum's shoulders. The boy laughed as the pokemon mounted his right shoulder, the both of them joining forces.

Marina and Jimmy sped along the canals, Croconaw and Seadra focused on the path before them. Spectators stood or sat in the cobblestone streets, cheering them on as they raced for the treasure that awaited them at the end of the line. One such spectator was a young boy, named Vincent Jackson. His short, sandy-blonde hair was smoothed down, with three bangs protruding upwards in a strange style. His skin was very pale. Excited, dark blue irises watched as his friends competed against one another. He wore a green, short-sleeved shirt with a white collar. Dark, khaki pants covered his legs. Last, he wore white and green sneakers.

"Go Marina, go!" the boy cried, gazing at his beloved as though he were in a trace.

Jimmy rolled his eyes and moved the chariot closer to the street. He turned the apparatus so that water splashed onto his childhood friend, who gazed at him in utter shock as he sped away, laughing.

After rounding the corner, the raven-haired male managed to catch up to Marina. They were trapped in a small wolf pack, joined by that boy Ash, the girl named Misty, and Samuel Ross.

They passed another corner and flew towards the intersection. Making another sharp turn, they rejoined the rest of the constants. While surveying the surrounding area, Jimmy watched as Ash lost control of his chariot and was thrown off. He was flying towards the concrete wall of a building directly in front of him. He cringed, waiting to see the boy slam into the bricks, only for him to stop in midair. It looked as though he ricocheted off of something, and then clumsily landed on his glider. The Totodile worked its muscles to rejoin the race.

He sighed, relieved that the other boy had not suffered any damage.

Turning his attention to the race, he focused his eyes and ordered Seadra to pick up the pace. Marina called out the same command to her Croconaw.

"_The competitors are approaching their final turn and heading for the homestretch! Its no surprise that last year's champion Ross and his Wailmer are in the lead. However, there is a chance that he will be defeated by newcomer Misty and her Corsola. These two are neck and neck folks!_"

Misty and Ross were in the lead, and were impossible for the two to pass.

"C'mon Seadra, hurry and…huh?" Jimmy jumped when he felt something brush the top of his head. A second later, Ash went speeding past him and Marina, flying towards the front with Misty and Ross. It looked as though his Totodile was floating in midair.

Marina blinked and looked at her friend, "What was that?"

"No idea…" Jimmy shrugged. Renewed vigor entered his heart, "…but there's no way I'm losing to him! C'mon Seadra!"

The blue pokemon obeyed its master and increased its pace, dragging the chariot forward. Marina rolled her emerald irises as the two flew away. "Stupid boys…"

Meanwhile, Jimmy was focused on Ash, determined to defeat the other boy. You see, he took the teen's sudden change in pace as a challenge. Jimmy was a very competitive person; he was not about to lose to the other boy. Seadra was faster then most pokemon, so it was closing in on Ross, Misty, and Ash.

"_Wait a minute, it looks like Ash Ketchum was just shot out of a canon! And now Ash has taken the lead!_"

The latter passed the duo, encouraging Seadra to pick up the pace.

However, for some strange reason, Ash turned into an alley that did not lead to the finishing line.

"_Oh, wrong turn, Ash! Huh? Looks as though competitor Garret might…no, never mind…_"

Jimmy being the genius that he is, passed Misty and Ross, and rounded the corner, joining Ash in heading in the wrong direction. He was too focused on beating the other boy that he completely forgot to pay attention to where he was going.

Jimmy followed Ash into the alley, realizing too late the mistake he had made. _Ah crap! _He continued onward, watching as Ash's Totodile brought him to a set of stairs. The boy hopped off of his glider and mounted the land, crying out for his pokemon to stop. _The heck? That kid needs to learn how to control his pokemon. _Marina always said that his lack of attention would be the death of him someday. That day, Jimmy learned that she was right. For the very second he turned his attention back to the race, he saw that his Seadra had waited to long to force a turn. That ended with him slamming into the brick wall in front of him, falling backwards and hitting the water.

Seadra noticed the change in wait and turned to around to fetch his trainer, who was treading water behind him, blood trickling out of his nose and an annoyed expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Marina managed to catch up to Ross and Misty.

"_As we approach the finish line, we find Ross in the lead, but here comes Misty, with Marina right behind her! Folks, its gonna be too close to count!!!_"

The trio crossed the finish line and began to slow to a stop. Misty lost her footing and fell into the water, still holding the leash that connected her to her Corsola.

Marina slowed and ordered her Croconaw to turn around, slowly floating towards Misty.

"Are you okay?" she called, a worried expression on her face.

The redheaded nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Here." The blue haired female stopped the glider, and allowed Misty to climb on.

"Thanks." She said as stood on the chariot, her Corsola floating beside them.

"_Let's go to the video tap!_" An image of the trio appeared on the screen, speeding towards the finish line. "_This is _awfully _close folks…_" Wailmer was about to cross, but Corsola managed to defeat it by a horn. Marina and Ross lost to Misty. "_…looks like Corsola managed to inch ahead just enough to win it! Judges? Yes, Misty is the winner!_"

Misty leapt with joy, her Corsola leaping into her arms, "Oh yeah, we did it!"

"Good game, Misty." Marina gave her a high five. The girl was lucky that she was not standing on Jimmy's glider. For if it had been him, he would have pushed her back into the water.

"Great race Misty," Ross said as he approached the girls. "As a reward, I'll show you girls around Alto Mare. What do you say?"

It was odd that a complete stranger would give them such a thing, but the girls accepted it nonetheless. They were very trusting of others.

_Huh? But where did Jimmy go? _She glanced back and forth, soon finding the boy standing on the cobblestone street alongside their friend Vincent. She waved at the boys, "Hey guys! Ross said he'll give us a tour of the city! Cool huh?"

Jimmy's arms were crossed over his chest, a bandage placed on his once bleeding nose. He sighed, shaking his head, "At least I get something out of this…"

"Oh my dear Marina, we you were flawless!" the sandy-blonde cooed, gazing at his love interest as though she were a deity.

Jimmy was raised in the Johto region, in a town called New Bark. There, he met and befriended Marina and Vincent, two children from the same town. His dream was to defeat one of the many Pokemon Leagues in the world. He, along with his two friends, began their journey after visiting Professor Elm, a pokemon researcher. The man gave their very first pokemon to them, which was required when becoming a trainer. Jimmy chose a Cyndaquil, who he trained until it evolved into its final form, a Typhlosion. Marina chose the Totodile, which she has trained until it evolved into its second form, a Crocnaw. She named it Wani-Wani. Unlike Jimmy, her dream was to win every pokemon contest, and become a famous Coordinator and actress one day. Vincent chose the Chikorita, who has fully evolved into its final form, Meganium.

Before he left his home town, Jimmy encountered a trainer from Kanto. Her name was Bella Vanielle, a girl who participated in the Indigo League. She was not victorious, however that did not stop her from trying to enter the Silver Conference, which he was currently taking part in. She left all of her pokemon in Pallet Town, her hometown, and opted to receive a Cyndaquil from Professor Elm in New Bark. The last time he saw her in Mahogany Town, she said that her pokemon was a Quilava now. During the short time he spent with her, Jimmy managed to capture a Weedle and an injured Pichu. Weedle was a Beedrill now, and Pichu evolved into a powerful Raichu.

During his travels, Jimmy caught a Horsea, who grew sick due to the polluted lake it once lived in. He took the pokemon to a center, where it soon recovered and chose to remain in his party. It has since become a powerful Seadra. Added to the group was his Pidgeot, who he caught when it was still a Pidgeotto. Last, he finished his party with an Ivysaur, who was given to him by a trainer when it was still a Bulbasaur. He managed to collect eight badges, and was currently waiting for the Silver Conference to start. It was only a week away.

His training brought him to Alto Mare, just in time to take part in their annual race. Marina was into showing off for others, so she came to this city for the race. And Vincent followed her like a lovesick Growlithe so wherever she goes he went…other then places he was restricted to go to, of course.

After the race, the small band retreated to the nearby hotel. Surprisingly, Marina, Vincent, and Jimmy were bedding in the same hotel as Ash, Misty, and their third friend Brock. Apparently, Misty, Brock, and Ash were all traveling together.

Brock, a teenage youth near or over eighteen, had darkened skin. He bore short, dark brown hair, and his eyes squinted, making it hard to see his irises. He wore an orange t-shirt and green vest, with brown pants and black and sneakers. In his arms he carried a young Togepi, who cried out for Misty to hold it. She gladly took her pokemon from the brunette, a soft smile on her face.

On the way to the hotel, Jimmy decided to speak with Ash, who had become his rival for a short period of time.

"So, Ash, where you from? I live in New Bark Town." He said as the two boys took the lead in the group.

The raven-haired teen gestured to himself proudly, "I'm from Pallet Town, in Kanto!"

"Then you know Bella Vanielle?" he asked hopefully.

He nodded, "Yeah, we're old friends…did you meet her?"

"Uh-huh. We traveled to Violet City together, but then we went our separate ways," the raven-haired boy explained, "I was hoping to see her Charizard but she didn't have it with her."

The Pikachu from before moved to sit on Ash's head. Apparently, it was his pokemon, so that made sense as to why he allowed it to ride on his shoulders during the race.

"So what were you doing in Violet City?" Ash asked.

Jimmy grinned, "I'm in the Silver Conference! I already have all eight badges. You?"

"Same! Can't wait to see how you battle."

Vincent was matching Marina's pace, gushing over her with loving eyes, "Oh, you were wonderful Marina! You'll always be a winner in my eyes."

"Thank-you Vinnie." The blue-haired girl giggled, smiling at the boy.

It was obvious that Vincent had a crush in Marina. Emotions of love developed in the boy's heart when he was thirteen. The boy was kind of a goofball, so he often gushed over Marina whenever she was around and overreacted to certain things. Paranoia was part of his personality, seeing as he deluded himself into thinking that Jimmy was his competition for the girl. But in reality, the boy did not possess romantic feelings for the girl. She was just his friend. Marina was one of Vincent's reasons for becoming a pokemon trainer and entering the Silver Conference; he wanted to impress her.

The small party arrived at the hotel a few minutes later. There, Vincent and Jimmy went to their room, Ash and Brock doing the same. Both Marina and Misty had their own room, separated from the boys.

When Jimmy re-emerged, he wore his usual attire. A black t-shirt with a crimson colored, long-sleeved hoodie. White pockets and an ivory collar added some flare to the hoodie. His cap remained on his head. Yellow and black shorts similar to his trunks reached his knees. Yellow, red and black sneakers with white tips acted as his footwear. He wore a white pack on his back, which carried his pokeballs. A Pokégear was strapped around his wrist. He wore a different outfit when he left New Bark Town, however it was torn and forced to be thrown away.

Marina changed into a sleeveless, vibrant pink tank-top. She wore a long-sleeved white jacket to cover herself, decorated with blue. Blue and pink cycling shorts covered her thighs and rear. Pink, blue and white sneakers acted as her footwear. She wore her pink Pokégear around her neck, like a piece of jewelry. She carried a pink bag. Her jacket contained her pokemon. After changing, she called on her Misdreavus, a ghost-type. The ghost usually stayed out of her pokeball, hovering around her trainer.

Ash wore a blue, short-sleeved jacket with ivory sleeves. It was lined with dark gold, and it covered his black shirt. Light blue, denim jeans covered his legs. Black and sneakers acted as his footwear. He carried his supplies in a bright green backpack.

Misty wore her bright yellow tank-top and blue denim shorts from before; but now the straps on her shorts coiled around her shoulders. She added red, yellow, and white sneakers onto her feet with ivory socks. A brown bag carried her things.

Jimmy was surprised to hear Marina mention that she and Misty met once before. Apparently, it was a competition for water pokemon in another city. So, in a way, they were friendly rivals.

The party left the hotel and made their way to the canals. Ross changed into a pair of a brown pants and a short-sleeved, black and white t-shirt. He slapped a hat onto his head. When they reached the canals, he took control of one of the gondolas and allowed the others to board it. Once they were all on, Ross kicked off of the land, allowing the wooden boat to float along the water.

"Wow, the buildings here are so pretty." Misty said, smiling as she gazed at the splendor surrounding her.

Brock gave the others a wolfish grin, "And so are all the girls!" Misty and Ash shot each other a look, and shook their heads at their friend.

"I wish I lived in such a beautiful place." Marina sighed, gazing at the clear water.

Jimmy shrugged, looking a little bored, "I like New Bark just fine."

The blue haired girl glared at him, "Doesn't anything excite you other then pokemon battles and competitions?"

"No." he deadpanned.

Vincent scooted closer to her, "Don't mind him; he may be a brainless oaf that can't do anything more then fight, but _I _respect your wonderful tastes."

"Oaf?" Jimmy kicked blonde in the leg, eliciting a cry of pain from him.

"Hey, behave on the gondola children." Ross called from the back, eyeing the two boys.

Jimmy grinned at the other male, who was busy cradling his leg, glaring daggers at the raven-haired teen. He turned so that he could see the streets and all of the people who inhabited them. _So bored… _he thought as they slowly moved along.

"Thanks for giving us this tour, Ross." Misty said in sweet voice.

The male smiled back at her, "No problem. Nothings too good for the recipient of the first place glass medallion."

"Oh, thanks." She giggled shyly.

Ash shot them a look and then tore his eyes from them, eyebrow twitching.

Before we left, the judge's gave Misty her prize. It was a glass medallion with silver statues inside of it. The statues were shapped like strange pokemon that the group of trainers had never seen before.

"Pretty cool huh? Check out all the symbols on there. They tell the story of our town. Do you like it?"

Misty held it up so that the glass glinted in the sunlight, "Yeah, its really pretty."

"Oh, I wish I had one…" Marina sighed, starring at Misty enviously.

Ross looked her, "Just try again next year. Who knows, you might be me."

"Huh?" Ash noticed something, gesturing to it, "Those statues look like the ones in Misty's medallion."

Near the land, there were two tall pillars. On top of each pillar, there was a statue of a strange pokemon.

"Oh yeah, those are known as the guardians of Alto Mare," Ross explained as he continued to steer the gondola, "Latios is on the left, and Latias is on the right. Legend has it that they watch over our town and protect us in case of danger."

This seemed to intrigue Brock, "Are they just statues or do they really exist?"

"People say they do." Ross shrugged.

Ash gazed at the pillars with interest, "I wish I could see at least one of them."

"I bet they're really cool." Vincent whispered, his eyes glued to the statues.

"Yeah…but since things are always so peaceful here, we haven't had any need for they're protection."

That disappointed Jimmy. He was hoping that he could see one as well. Ross continued with the tour, randomly pointing places of interest out the group. Almost two hours passed before they reached land.

"So that's it for the tour," he said as his passengers climbed onto land, "hope you enjoyed it. If your hungry, there's a popular spaghetti place nearby. And if you want, you can go to the ice-cream shop only a few blocks down."

Misty smiled at their chaperone, "Thank-you so much Ross."

"No problem, see'ya." He pushed away, probably going home or to carry more passengers.

Ash was glaring at him as he left. He looked at Misty, and then turned away from the canal, an irritated expression on his face.

"Ice-cream anyone? My treat." Brock offered.

Jimmy cackled manically after hearing his offer, "When I'm done, your gonna wish you didn't say that."

Marina leaned towards the male, whispering in his ear, "Refuse his request for three cones, triple scoops each."

"Why?" Brock asked.

"Because if you don't he'll be up three days and nights, hyped on sugar. We do _not _need him to unleash chaos upon this poor, unsuspecting town." She warned.

Vincent nodded his head in agreement, utter horror etched into his face, "I still remember the last time he had too much sugar…" his eyes widened even more, something the others had not thought possible.

"We will never look at spoons the same way again." Marine sighed, patting the blonde on the shoulder consolingly.

Ash, Misty, and Brock exchanged glances, not quite understanding what Jimmy had done. But whatever it was, it involved a spoon.

Jimmy was walking backwards in front of them, rolling his eyes. "I'm not _that _bad."

"Liar!" Vincent spat, "I still have scars from…"

"Where'd Pikachu go?"

The humans stopped, glancing around. Jimmy and Ash ran back to see if Pikachu had wandered off; they passed an alley that led to what appeared to be a water fountain. There, they found Pikachu bathing in the water, with a girl keeping the liquid flowing. The two boys ran to the fountain, relieved to have found the little pokemon.

"Pikachu! Don't you want any ice-cream?" Ash shouted as they approached the fountain.

The girl standing near the fountain was a little odd. She had medium length brown hair, with two bangs spiked backwards on the sides of her head. She wore a short-sleeved green-shirt along with a white mini-skirt. Black socks covered her feet, with pink shoes acting as her footwear. She bore dark brown eyes.

Without saying a word, the girl skipped towards Ash and Jimmy, stopping directly in front of them.

"Uh…" Jimmy's eyes narrowed as he backed away from her, "…personal space here."

Ash remained in place, starring at her as she circled him like a curious pokemon, "Er…hi?"

She then took off running, heading around the corner. Ash glanced at Jimmy, who shrugged. Pikachu continued bathing in the water, purring happily.

"Your Pikachu seems to really like water, huh?"

Ash laughed, "Yeah…c'mon Pikachu, let's get back to the others."

His pokemon did stop. But instead of obeying and backing away from the faucet, Pikachu took off in the same direction that girl went. Ash turned to water off and took off after his pokemon, with Jimmy right behind them.

"Leave her alone!"

They sprinted down the alley and made a sharp turn. "Hey!" Ash called as he, Pikachu, and Jimmy approached a nearby bridge.

There, they saw the brunette from before, gazing in fear at a crimson colored spider known as an Ariados.

A lavender colored feline stood nearby. Its forehead bore a crimson colored pearl. This pokemon was known as an Espeon, and like Ariados, they were usually native to the Johto region.

In the canal beneath the bridge, there was a boat. In the boat sat two young women, both older then the girls caught in Ariados's String Shot. One of the women had golden blonde pigtails, while the other had medium length, lavender-blue hair.

"What do you think your doing!?" Jimmy barked as he snatched a pokeball out of his bag.

The blonde giggled, "We're just trying to prevent a fashion disaster." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Well this is no way to do it!" Ash replied as he tore the silk web off of the girls.

"Maybe he'd like to give us tips instead?" the blue-haired woman asked as she leaned back in the seat. She was the driver.

Jimmy stepped onto the bridge, holding his pokeball up threateningly. Pikachu joined them, small electric sparks dancing on its cheeks, "I've got a tip: go the heck away!"

"Oh, don't tell me they have a bodyguard," the blonde asked in mock fear, "Your not going to hurt us are you?"

The blue-haired woman joined her game, holding her hands up and shivering, "What ever shall we do if he attacked us Annie?"

"Espeon, show Oakley what we would do."

At that moment, a multicolored beam shot from the gem on Espeon's forehead, and devoured Jimmy. His body convulsed with pain as the attack cut away at his skin. When the light vanished, he shook it away, glaring viciously at the lavender colored feline.

"Pikachu, get'em!" Ash ordered.

The electric rodent sprinted at Espeon, who leapt onto the boat with its master. Golden lightning shot from its crimson cheeks and engulfed the boat, electrocuting the humans along with Espeon.

"Come on, let's go!" Ash grabbed the dark haired girl's hand and drug her off the bridge. The boys and Pikachu brought the girl into an alley, where they continued they're escape. Jimmy cocked his head so that he could see behind himself; Ariados and Espeon were following them.

They continued along the winding alleys, running past multiple different buildings. They sprinted across one bridge and then continued making sharp turns both left and right. Eventually they came to a fork in the road, and were unsure of where to go. That changed when the brown haired girl grabbed both Jimmy and Ash's hand, then forced them to go to the right.

"Hey, what're you doing?" the raven-haired boy with a Pikachu called.

Her grip was quite strong, seeing as even Jimmy struggled to get free.

She stopped near a set of stairs, where they found the fountain. Misty, Brock, Marina, and Vincent were waiting for them.

"Hey, we're right back…" Jimmy turned around, finding that the girl was gone, "…uh, where'd she go?"

Ash looked to see that she was gone as well, "No idea…"

"Hey! You guys missed the ice-cream. We're going to the museum now!" the blue-haired girl called from below.

The boys exchanged a glance before rejoining their friends. They decided to keep the exchange a secret, merely saying that they got sidetracked. Once everything was cleared with their group, they began heading towards the museum. Brock was using a map to get around, seeing as they would never survive without it.

Jimmy was amazed when he saw the building. The museum was several stories high, and the architecture was absolutely amazing. It resembled a palace, rather then a boring museum. They went inside and crossed the lobby. There was a mahogany desk being manned by a middle-aged woman. Each member of the party paid to get in, and then headed to the long corridor behind the desk.

The floor was made of marble, with a high ceiling above them. Windows allowed light to enter the room. Intricate designs were carved into the walls. Pillars lined the room, keeping the ceiling in position. Ahead of the group was a fork, with a statue standing before them.

Ash stopped when he noticed something strange about the floor. "Is this a fossil?" Everyone else glance down, finding that he was right. Bones were embedded in a glass tile below them. They looked vaguely familiar to Ash and his friends, too.

"Of course," an old voice said. The children looked up, finding squat old man standing nearby. He wore dark blue, denim overalls and a bright red t-shirt. He had a friendly face, with bright blue eyes and a white beard. The top of his head was bald. "But you could also they that they are a reminder of our past. At one time, these pokemon terrorized Alto Mare."

Marina's eyes remained glued to the floor, "Really?"

"M-hm…one was an Aerodactyl, while the other was a…"

"Kabutops?"

He nodded his head, "That's right. Follow me."

The man led them past the statue and around the wall to the next room. The next room was quite large in height. Near the ceiling, one could see the gorgeous stain glass windows. In the center of the room, one could see a large machine of some sort.

"The is the DMA, the Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare." The old man said.

Jimmy gazed at the machine in amazement, with Vincent and Marina at his side. Misty and Ash gaped at the machine along with them. Brock on the hand, was mesmerized by the stain glass windows.

"I have seen the light," he announced dramatically, holding his arms in the air, "I will definitely meet a girl in this town!"

The redheaded water trainer shook her head, "Just don't hold your breath…"

Marina leaned towards her, "Is he always this weird?"

"Yes…"

"Long ago, Alto Mare was attacked by an Aerodactyl and a Kabutops. But then Latios and Latias appeared and carved the canals you see today into our land, drowning the pokemon who dare attack us. That is when the town got its name, Alto Mare, which means 'High Sea'. That is when they built the DMA. We wanted to make sure that no-one would ever disrupt the peace again. We've been lucky, seeing as we've never had to use it."

Jimmy was paying attention to the old man's explanation, until he saw Ash gaze up at the higher area above them. He watched as the boy wandered towards her, a distant look in his eyes. Without thinking, he touched the DMA.

"Huh? No, don't touch it!" the old man roared, scaring Ash.

Misty glared at him, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry!"

Jimmy's eyes followed the other boys', curious to see what he had been looking at. It was the girl from before, only now she wore a white hat.

"Thanks a lot for the tour mister, it was really interesting," Ash sprinted past them, causing Jimmy to follow him, "later!"

"Hey Ash, where're you going!?" the boy from New Bark called, chasing after the Kanto trainer.

Unfortunately, the other male was faster. He paused for a mere second, and then ran down a set of stairs after the girl. Jimmy followed him as though his very life depended on it, wondering why he was so determined to follow the mysterious girl. Eventually, Jimmy lost him, Ash having made far too many twists and turns for him to keep up.

The raven haired boy sighed and shook his head, leaning against the railing of the bridge he was standing on. He stood there, gasping for air.

_Where'd that idiot go? _The boy noticed as a young girl walked by. The female was around the same age as Ash and Jimmy. Her long, chestnut colored hair was tied back. Her bangs, which were allowed to hang freely, were parted so they could see her face clearly. Bright, emerald green irises glared at the pokemon. She wore a white, knee-length dress with spaghetti straps for sleeves. The dress was lined with pink, and there were few yellow and blue flower designs. High-heeled sandals acted as her footwear.

Jimmy poked her shoulder, "Hey, can you tell me where a kid wearing a hat and a Pikachu went?"

"Hm?" the brunette looked at him strangely.

"He was following a brown haired girl her hair styled funny, like this," He held his hands above his head to further emphasize his point. "The girl doesn't talk and she acts a little weird. Seen them?"

She seemed to think on it, before smiling and nodding her head, "Why yes, I have seen them. They're on the other bridge, actually." She gestured a little further down the canal.

"Really?" Jimmy moved to the other side of the bridge, leaning over to get a good look. The other bridge was vacant, "but there's nobo-AHH!!!" he cried out as a hand pressed against his back, attempting to shove him over the railing. Jimmy did a front flip, falling off of the bridge. He managed to catch the edge, where he hung for a moment before pulling himself up. He leapt over the railing and glared at the girl angrily, "What the Hell was that for!?"

Her eyes narrowed angrily, "As if I'd tell a pokemon trainer where she is! All you want to do is catch her and run off." With that, she turned away from him and sprinted off of the bridge and into the next alleyway.

"Hey! Come back here!" Jimmy barked as he took chase.

He ran after the fleeing girl, determined to find out why she would trick him, and then attempt to shove him off of the bridge…

**And I'm cutting off here. This chapter was almost seventeen pages long (its sixteen). Please review and I shall update soon… **


	47. Chapter 47

**And here is the continuation of the last chapter. I decided to write in third person for these movie chapters, seeing as I am getting tired of using "I" so much. The sequel will probably be written in third person POV, too. Depends on which one I like better. I also decided to focus these two chapters on Jimmy, Marina, and Vincent to give Bella and Gary a little break. I hope you enjoy it…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Pokemon **_**franchise. I do not own any of the quotes, either.**

**CLAIMER: However, I do own my characters.**

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 46: Twins **

"_For death is no more than a turning of us_

_Over from time to eternity._"

-William Penn

Jimmy's legs carried him as fast as they could; he was determined to catch up to the young girl. The girl was giving him a hard time, making it difficult for him to catch up to her. _How can someone run so fast in high heels? _He wondered as she led him through different twists and turns. He shoved his way through crowds of other people in a desperate attempt to catch up to the girl, refusing to be made a fool of.

Eventually, she came to a stop near a set of stairs, about to turn and descend the stairs. He took his chance. Jimmy picked up his pace and ran at her, his arms wide open. Losing control, he tackled her, causing both of them to fall off of the cobblestone sidewalk, and straight into the canal behind the girl.

Despite being slightly disoriented, Jimmy caught the girl's upper arm and brought her to the surface of the water, gasping for fresh air.

He pulled her to a set of stairs and back onto the sidewalk, eyes narrowed angrily, "What do you think your dong? Why'd you shove me off the bridge like that? I'm just looking for a friend!" he roared.

"I don't know about that kid with a Pikachu," she jerked her arm away, defiant, "but I won't let you find the brown haired girl. You must be with those two poachers, trying to capture Latias and Latios, right?"

He blinked, "Poachers trying to catch Latios and Latias?" He held his hands up in surrender, shaking his head in disagreement, "No I'm not, I'm just a tourist!"

"Li…huh?" the girl stared at him for a brief moment before realizing that he was telling the truth, "Oh, I'm sorry!" she gasped, and then looked back and forth nervously, "Uh…f-forget I said anything."

She tried to run away, but Jimmy caught her arm again, "Hold it!" she looked at him, seeming rather unsure of herself, "Tell me everything you know! What poachers? And I thought Latios and Latias were just a myth."

Sad eyes gazed at him, pleading. But he was not about to back down.

The girl gave a defeated sigh, realizing that she was not going to escape his sight easily. "Alright…I'll tell you…" she pulled her arm from his hand, and slowly began walking away, "…follow me."

Jimmy hesitated, but surely enough, he began walking with her.

"My name is Esther Gainsborough," she began, "but I prefer to be called Eri. I've lived in Alto Mare my entire life, just like anyone else here. But," she lowered her voice, "My best friend, Bianca, and I befriend the legendary Latios and Latias two years ago."

He jumped, surprised to hear this information, "So they exist?"

"M-hm…they live right here in Alto Mare," Eri continued, "They live in a secret garden, one only Bianca, me, and her grandfather can find. The girl you met was actually Latias disguised as a human; she usually takes on the form of either Bianca or me."

"They can disguise themselves as humans?" That was intriguing. Normally, pokemon could not do that. It was rumored that Ditto could, although that was not proven to be true or false. Then another thought came to mind, "And you said poachers are after them…so, you mean the lady with blue hair and the blonde? Those two?"

Eri's eyes sharpened, "So you know them?"

He sensed the danger, "Uh yeah, my friend and I ran into them when they were attacking Latias. I guess the girl we saw was her, because she didn't say a word, and she kept acting a little weird."

"Yeah. Neither Latias or Latios are capable of speaking our language, so if she didn't say a word, then it was probably her," Eri seemed to just register part of what Jimmy said, "You saved her?"

He nodded, "Well yeah, I mean, I thought she was just a normal girl being bullied by those women…I didn't know that it was actually Latias and a group of poachers."

"So you would have caught her if you knew that it was Latias?"

"Uh…" he found that hard to answer. Yes, he would have loved the idea of catching a legendary pokemon. Most trainers would. But from the look on Eri's face, it would be safe to deny such a thing, "…well…no…"

She sighed and shook her head, "This is why I can't stand pokemon trainers. All you guys do is catch whatever pokemon seems most valuable to you, train it, and then battle others to show off your strength. Do you care about the consequences of catching the legendaries? No."

"H-hey!" he was offended by her remark, "Don't go lumping all of us together. I actually care about my pokemon."

"I never said that he don't care about your pokemon; but do you care what happens when you catch a legendary just to show off, or just as some stupid trophy?"

Jimmy cared about pokemon deeply. That was one reason he became a trainer. He was annoyed that this girl would question him like that, "Of course I do! I wouldn't catch Latias just to show off to everybody, alright? I only would've if she wanted to come with me."

"Pfft, that's believable…" she groaned as she continued walking along the cobblestone streets. But her voice betrayed her words. For some reason, Jimmy was not convinced that he was hearing her thoughts in the open air. _I wonder why she says that if she doesn't really think that way. _She stopped suddenly, and moved to sit with her legs dangling over the edge of the canal, "…I'm assuming you want to see the twins, huh?"

This excited Jimmy. "I'd loved to!" he sat beside her, "But I won't try to catch either of them." He added.

"Good…hm?" her eyes focused onto the water, causing curiosity to rise inside of Jimmy's heart.

Silently, he waited for her to speak, but she did not say a word, "Eri?" Suddenly, the water rippled and pulled apart, as if a large object were floating on it. But there was nothing there.

"Latios?" Eri whispered, starring at the spot, "Are you using sight-sharing?" Silence.

Jimmy looked from the girl to the spot she was speaking to, wondering whether she lost her mind or not.

"Well, I want you to meet…" she looked at him, "…who are you?"

"Jimmy." He replied.

She turned her attention to the strange spot, "I want you to meet Jimmy. Can you take us back to the others?" Once again, there was only silence. Jimmy watched as Eri rose to her feet, and carefully, she climbed onto whatever was there. He was surprised to see that she was floating. "Well come on."

"Uh, right." He carefully followed, sitting behind Eri. He was definitely sitting on something, although he had no idea what.

"Hold your breath." She sucked in a mouthful of air and gripped whatever they were sitting on. Suddenly, Jimmy was thrust underwater. Out of surprise, he wrapped his arms around Eri's waist and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Eri was smiling, watching as they flew through the watery canals at a speed that no boat could match. Water pokemon swam around them as the creature they rode upon flew onward, allowing Eri to enjoy the sights around them. When he calmed, Jimmy opened his eyes, and soon found himself taking in the splendor surrounding them.

The canals beneath the water appeared to be a greenish color, with a blue mixed in, almost like teal. Yet it managed to retain its beauty. The water rippled and shimmered above them, like a horde of blue diamonds.

Eventually, Jimmy tapped Eri's shoulder and motioned upwards, asking for air. She nodded and nodded at whatever they were on, which in turn increased its pace.

The creature sped onward as Jimmy fought to hold his breath, hoping that they would find dry land soon. His prayers were answered when their mount flew through an underwater tunnel and then soared upwards, breaking through to the surface. Jimmy lost his grip and fell backwards, landing in the water below them. Eri took a deep breath, laughing at the boy who was now treading water.

"Jimmy?" she heard an unfamiliar voice asked.

The glanced downwards, finding an unfamiliar black haired boy with a Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. Beside him stood Bianca and the old man from the museum.

Jimmy swam to the edge and climbed onto land, gasping for air, "I lived!" he cried dramatically. He looked up at Eri, who was floating in midair momentarily. And then, whatever she was riding on, revealed itself.

The creature she was riding appeared to be a dragon-like creature. It was big enough for two teenagers to ride. It was without back legs, but mechanical looking white arms with blue hands extended from its body. It bore a pair of straight, furry blue wings on its back. A fluffy, stubby tail protruded from its rear. Its shoulder blades, neck, and heard were white. Pointed, ivory ears could be seen on the side of its head. The creature's forehead and short, yet pointed snout was decorated with a blue triangle. A crimson triangle decorated the center of its chest. Sharp, crimson irises gazed at Jimmy. It had a masculine look to it.

"Jimmy, this is Latios, and I think I just found your friend." She pointed at Ash.

When he looked to his companion, he was surprised to find a girl who resembled Latias. But her eyes seemed to be different. Behind her, the man from the museum, and Ash, he saw a strange pokemon. It looked like Latios, only its frame was smaller. The areas that were blue on Latios were a dark red on this pokemon. The triangle on its chest was blue. Playful, childlike yellow irises gazed at him. He assumed this to be Latias.

"Hey Jimmy," Ash said, almost as if expected him, "Have fun?"

He blinked, not understanding the boy, "You knew I was coming?"

"Yup. We saw Latios pick you guys up."

"But, how?"

Latios lowered himself so that Eri could join everyone else on the land, "Its called sight-sharing. Latios and Latias can see through each other's eyes," she gestured to the old man and the girl, "This is Lorenzo and Bianca; Lorenzo is my friend's grandfather. Bianca, Lorenzo, this is Jimmy." She then looked at Ash.

"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet," He said, then gestured to the rodent on his shoulder, "and this is Pikachu."

She smiled, "Its nice to meet you. I'm Esther Gainsborough, but I prefer to be called Eri."

"So, how do you know Bianca and Lorenzo?" Ash asked, a little confused.

She explained a little of her past to him, telling Ash the same thing she had told Jimmy. Once the introductions were over, Ash changed the subject.

"So you've all known them for two years?" he asked.

Lorenzo shook his head, "Actually, I have known them since they're father brought the water to our town, when they were merely infants."

"A father? So there are more?" Jimmy asked.

He nodded, "Yes. In the past, Latios and Latias would always visit Alto Mare. It was normal to see them, however, these are the only ones left. For some reason, the others have stopped coming here. It was shortly after Latios and Latias's father died that they stopped coming. Several years ago, they're father rescued our city from corrupt pokemon, Kabutops and Aerodactyl. It turns out that they belonged to a trainer who managed to resurrect the fossils. This trainer held a personal vendetta against Alto Mare. For you see, this town was once made up of clans. His clan was banished from the city long ago, and he returned to the city to exact his revenge. The beauty he left is wonderful…but the pressure that was placed on the pokemon's shoulders was enough that…well, he passed away in the end."

Latias and Latios appeared to be playing some form of tag while they were taking, singing merrily as they do so.

"After he died, a sphere called the Soul Dew appeared," Bianca continued, "its rumored that it contains Latios's spirit."

"So Latios died to save the town," Ash concluded, even though that is basically what they just said. "And now his kids are orphans? What happened to their mom?"

Lorenzo sighed sadly, "She was killed by Kabutops."

Latios brought Jimmy and Eri into what appeared to be a lush garden. The ceiling was made of glass, allowing the setting sun to shine through. Tall trees and beautiful flowers surrounded them. The concrete paths bore the story of Alto Mare. There was a swing set nearby, with a fountain being rather close as well. A waterfall was added to the scene; that waterfall connected with the canals, and that is how Jimmy and Eri arrived in the garden.

Ash was looking an image that appeared to be the same as the DMA. "That diagram shows how the Soul Dew is used to power the DMA," Lorenzo explained.

"So where is the Soul Dew?" Jimmy asked.

The old man brought them to a small fountain, which was filled with clear blue water. Jimmy and Ash looked closely. In the center of the water, there was a black orb with an azure blue center that seemed to glow like a light.

"That's pretty cool…" Jimmy mused, gazing at the Soul Dew with wonder.

"I'll tell you something," Lorenzo began, "that beautiful jewel not only contains the spirit of Latios, but, also the powerful to destroy all of Alto Mare. It must never leave this pool. So you see, you boys must keep its location a secret."

"We promise." Both boys said in unison.

At that moment, Latias flew up behind Ash, and attempted to carry him away. But he was too heavy, so in the end she dropped him. Latios flew downwards and caught Ash before he could hit the water, carrying him back to the others. Ash leapt off of his back and stroked Latias's head as she apologized.

"I think she wants to play some more." Eri giggled, smiling at the two.

"I'm sorry Latias, but Jimmy and me have to go find our friends," he seemed reluctant to leave, "but we'll come back real soon, okay?"

Latias watched sadly as Jimmy, Ash, Lorenzo, Bianca, and Eri walked towards the exit of the garden. They ascended a set of steps, and emerged in a darkened shack.

"Where are?" Jimmy noticed that there was a boat and shelves filled with random things surrounding them.

"This is my workshop," Lorenzo announced proudly.

Eri pat one of the many wooden gondolas, "Lorenzo builds gondolas in here." He brought them outside of the shack.

"Bianca, Eri, take Ash and Jimmy back the rest of the way, okay?"

Both girls accepted his order. The sun had almost set, and the streetlights were coming to life. The group jumped into a boat and took off down the canal, enjoying the cool air.

It did not take them long to reach the Pokemon Center. Bianca and Eri said farewell to the boys as they started the boat and took off into the night. Ash and Jimmy entered the center. It looked same as the others, a lobby with an upstairs for travelers to stay at night. Jimmy went upstairs and entered his room, finding Vincent fast asleep in his own bed. Jimmy changed into his sleep wear, which consisted of a pair of dark blue boxers and his black t-shirt. He laid on his bed, and closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep…

Jimmy opened eyes when he felt something shaking his body. He looked up, finding Ash hovering over him.

"What the…hey, get off!" he shoved the other male, looking at him with surprise. Vincent was standing in the room, a serious expression on his face. He was wearing vibrant green pajamas, with a pair of pants and a sleep shirt. It was still nighttime. "What's going?"

"Those two women from before have stolen the Soul Dew and activated the DMA. Latios has been captured, and now they're after Latias! And they resurrected the Kabutops and Aerodactyl. They even have Bianca, Eri, and Lorenzo!" he exclaimed.

That struck a cord in Jimmy's mind, "Dammit…" he jumped to his feet and glanced out of the window. For some reason, black metal bars were appearing around them. "…what's going on?"

"I don't know," they noticed that the bars were materializing near their window, "crap!"

Jimmy cried out in surprise as Latias appeared behind them, shoving both Ash and Jimmy out of the window. Vincent yelped in shock as he was added to the fray, all three males landing in the canal below them.

Jimmy, Ash, and Vincent swam to the surface, gasping for air. "Come on you guys, let's head to the museum!"

"But its dangerous there," Vincent whimpered, "and wouldn't it be better…"

Jimmy glared at him, "If we don't do something now, Marina will be in danger."

That caught the blonde's attention, "I'LL DO IT!!!" The three of them swam towards a gondola, which they boarded. They began using the paddle to move the apparatus, trying to the reach the museum as soon as possible. The boys stopped when an Aerodactyl dove at them, dropping into the wooden gondola to avoid being struck.

The large pokemon caught Latias with its sharp talons, "Hey, let go of her!" Ash ordered.

He leapt onto its back as it began to fly away, leaving Vincent and Jimmy on the gondola along with his Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

It electrocuted Aerodactyl, Ash, and Latias, but the job was done right. Both the legendary and Ash were freed from the now injured dragon. They dropped into the water. Ash came up along with Latias, who became invisible and flew off.

"Where is it going?" Vincent asked. They looked up when the Aerodactyl roared again, this time releasing a powerful beam of energy. The boys managed to leap off of the gondola and onto the cobblestone streets before the blast could hit them. Pikachu jumped into the water, while Ash dove under after it. They watched as he narrowly avoided being hit by the blast, but did not resurface. After a second, Latias appeared, and dove under the water. She pulled Ash and Pikachu up, a worried expression on her face.

"Thanks Latias."

The female pokemon began pulling Ash through the water, with Vincent and Jimmy running along on the sidewalk. Aerodactyl was still flying overhead.

"So what're we gonna do now big shot?" Vincent asked, sounding a little annoyed.

He shrugged, "I dunno…Ash, do you have any ideas?"

"Not…hm?" he turned his head and looked at one of the chariots from the race earlier that morning. Jimmy understood his logic immediately, while Vincent silently questioned him.

But he got the message when Ash tied the leash around Latias and boarded the chariot, "Can you guys do your best to keep Aerodactyl off of our tail?"

"Yup." The raven-haired boy said, a while smile on his face. With that, Latias, Ash, and Pikachu took off into the night.

Vincent gazed up at the sky fearfully, "So how do you plan on fighting Aerodactyl?"

"Like this." Jimmy reached into his shorts and pulled a pokeball out.

The blonde shot him an odd look, "You keep your pokemon in your underwear?"

"Only Typhlosion, and only when I sleep." He said and he tapped the pokeball, causing said creature to appear before the boys.

Typhlosion was the same height as Jimmy. It resembled a Quilava, although it usually stood on all fours. Flames appeared around the back of its neck, with a small black tail protruding from its rear. Sharp, dark red irises glanced around.

"Hey there, I need you to help me protect that kid and Latias, 'kay?" Jimmy said, pointing up at Aerodactyl, "and I need you to help me kick that things ass."

Typhlosion followed his finger, nodding its head in agreement.

With that being said, Jimmy climbed onto a chariot and tied the leash around Typhlosion's stomach. The pokemon began pulling them while running on land, trying to catch up the others. Vincent held onto the other male as they made they're way along the canal. When they caught up, they found Aerodactyl chasing Ash and Latias.

"Use Flamethrower!" Jimmy cried.

A stream of fire flew from Typhlosion's mouth, hitting Aerodactyl's side. They made a sharp turn, flying past a small group of boats. Typhlosion continued firing its attacks at the Aerodactyl, who in turn, dodged them. The battle continued until Aerodactyl slammed into a croup of building to narrow for it to enter. Typhlosion took to running on the walls of the buildings to follow Latias and Ash. They continued riding in silence after losing the dragon.

Of course, the joy they felt was short-lived when a Kabutops appeared in the streets. It swung its claws at Ash, who struggled to avoid them. Typhlosion countered by leaping at the Kabutops, using a Flamethrower attack at point-blank to injure it.

But Kabutops continued fighting Typhlosion while following Ash and Latias. The raven haired male was forced to dismount his chariot and leap onto the sidewalk, with Kabutops following close behind. Lucky for him, Typhlosion, a familiar Corsola, a Misdreavus, a green Politoad, and a Crobat appeared. They aided Pikachu in knocking the Kabutops unconscious.

"Ready to keep going?" Jimmy asked.

Ash nodded and mounted his chariot, which Latias went to fetch for him. Once they were ready, the group continued onward.

Upon reaching the museum, they were shocked to see a giant whirlpool heading their direction.

"What is that?" Vincent gasped. All of the boys dismounted their gliders and began sprinting across the museum's parking lot, desperate to avoid being caught in the whirlpool. The water fell forwards and seeped into the cracks in the cobblestones, using them to catch up to the boys. Once it was close enough, it reformed the whirlpool, catching all three of them, Latias, and Typhlosion within its grasp.

They fought to hold their breaths, fearing that they would drown if something was not done soon. It was at that moment that Latias began to glow a pure blue, causing the water to vanish.

Vincent hit the ground. He was unconscious. Jimmy, Typhlosion, Ash, and Pikachu managed to retain consciousness. Latias fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Are you okay?" Ash gasped. She nodded.

Jimmy rose to his feet, shaky, "Come on, let's go!"

"Will Vincent be alright?"

He nodded, "He'll be fine."

With that, the group sprinted into the museum. Once inside, they soon found that the entire place was thrown into chaos. Eri, Bianca, and Lorenzo were trapped in silk web. The DMA had come to life, although whoever was inside had lost control. The large metal arms swirled about wildly. The girl who Jimmy assumed to be Annie, the blonde, was standing outside. She wore a black sleeveless short that was cut so that her stomach was within view. White gloves protected her hands, while black pants adorned with read guarded her legs.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" The rodent managed to disable Annie and her Espeon.

"Are you guys alright?" Ash called as he and Jimmy began pulling the web of the three.

Eri nodded, "Yeah, but Latios is hurt!"

Said pokemon was locked inside of a sphere made up of electricity. Bruises and cuts adorned his body. Latias gazed at him with worry.

"We have to stop the machine!" Lorenzo shouted after being freed.

"Typhlosion, use your Flamethrower attack!"

"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

Both electricity and fire were not enough to break the container. Instead, both attacks ricocheted off of the orb, causing the group to scatter. Ash, Pikachu, and Latias began to tackle it, but none of their efforts seem to work. Latias tried again, only this time, she managed to break through. She nuzzled her brother's head, crying fearfully over his wounds.

"We've gotta help them." Jimmy growled.

Now that the rings hovering around Latios had stopped, Jimmy, Ash, Lorenzo, Eri, and Bianca were able to pool the pokemon out of the container. Once he was out, everything stopped. The DMA was rendered useless.

Latias nuzzled her injured brother, hoping that he was okay. He looked at her, giving his sister a reassuring smile.

Bianca and Eri embraced the pokemon, thankful that he was still alive. "I'm so glad your alright…"

It was at that moment that Brock and Misty arrived. Somehow, they managed to escape the Pokemon Center.

"What happened to the Soul Dew? It's all black and creepy. Check it out."

That sounded like Annie's voice. Everyone scanned the room, finding her standing one of the machine's outstretched arms. She was right. The Soul Dew was still black, but now, the once blue light was a dark, blood red. She reached out to it, an oblivious expression on her face.

"Don't touch that!" Lorenzo roared, but he was too late.

As soon as her fingers connected with the Soul Dew, golden light surged forward, shocking Annie and sending her stumbling inside of a round container, where the other woman was. The door clamped shut, and the arms of the machine roared to life, swirling around wildly. Jimmy watched with horror as the Soul Dew fell apart.

"What's happening?" Eri whispered, rising to her feet.

"The prophecy has come true. The Soul Dew is dying, because it has been outside of the water far too long. Now the water is leaving!" Lorenzo explained.

The group quickly left the museum and sprinted down the cobblestone sidewalks, coming to a stop near the exit of Alto Mare. The water had already drained from the city, and was now returning to the ocean.

"Its…all gone…" Ash breathed.

"Yes…but I'm afraid that its all coming back." Lorenzo muttered.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

The humans listened as Latias and Latios spoke with each other, and then soared to the top of one of the many towers surrounding them. They came to a stop, eyes locked onto the now void ocean. The water was gone, revealing jagged rocks and a dead wasteland. That soon changed when a loud rumbling sound could be heard. Jimmy watched in horror as a gigantic tsunami approached Alto Mare.

There was a single cry of Latios, and with that, the twins flew forward. They both soared towards the tsunami, determined to stop it.

"Latias!" Ash cried.

"Latios!" Eri called.

First, their eyes began to glow an azure blue. Soon, their entire body was engulfed in the light. The two morphed into one sphere of energy, and then continued onward. The group watched as the orb smashed into the center of the tsunami, splitting it in half. A gigantic orb of blinding light appeared as the waters calmed and slowly but surely, returned to Alto Mare.

The sphere slowly shrunk until it was a beam of light extending outward into the sky, and then disappeared altogether. Neither pokemon returned.

"Where are they?" Bianca whispered.

The sun was already rising. Out of worry for the pokemon, the group boarded a gondola, and took off into the ocean. They called out for the twins, praying that they would turn up soon. Pikachu spotted something floating in the ocean, and called on the humans. They followed its gaze, realizing that it was Latias being carried by two water pokemon. They swam towards the gondola, stopped in front of it. The humans brought Latias onto their small boat, and then the pokemon dispersed.

"Latias?" Ash whispered, holding her head, "Can you hear me?" She purred softly, and glanced up at him. "Latias!" he embraced her head, relieved to see that she was alright. She barley had a scratch on her.

Eri leaned towards the female pokemon, a worried expression on her face, "Hey Latias…where's Latios?"

Latias gestured towards the sky with her nose.

"So…that light was Latios?" Bianca asked, her voice trembling.

Lorenzo sighed as he sat down, shaking his head, "Like his father, Latios gave his life to save the city."

Jimmy watched as Eri's face fell, and tears began to prick the corners of her eyes. They slowly descended her cheeks, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly. "Latios…!" At that moment, Latias's eyes began to glow azure blue.

The world seemed to vanish, with the entire group now standing inside of a blue orb like structure. Around them, they could clearly see a new, darkened world with silver diamonds flecking its surface. Below them, Jimmy saw what appeared to be earth. It deserved the name 'blue planet'. It seemed to glow a dark, sapphire blue in the midst of deep space. Ivory clouds and specks of land added some flare to the design.

"Is this…what Latios is seeing?" Eri whimpered.

"I think so…" Brock said, gazing down at the earth.

Tears continued to flow from Eri's eyes, even after they returned to the normal world. She opened her hands as an azure colored orb appeared in her palms. It was a new Soul Dew, with Latios's spirit embedded inside of it. She hugged the orb close to herself, sobbing, "Latios!"

They remained in the gondola, listing as Eri mourned the death of her friend. Jimmy realized at that moment that, like Ash and Latias, Latios and Eri were very close. For him to die…it was hard on her, harder then it was for Lorenzo and Bianca…

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After the night's events, the group returned to Alto Mare. There, they snuck into the secret garden, where Eri placed the new Soul Dew inside of the pool. Once that was over, she left the garden, opting to take a walk around the town to clear her mind. Vincent seemed to have regained consciousness, because the group found him running in circles, screaming like an idiot. He decided to go back to the Pokemon Center and check on Marina, something he probably should have done before screaming like a moron. Ash, Misty, and Brock returned with him. Jimmy, however, decided to tend to the distraught Eri.

Said girl was wandering around Alto Mare, merely gazing into the distance. Jimmy returned to her side, wondering whether she would be okay.

"Eri…" he whispered.

She stopped and turned to him, her eyes red and puffy from the tears. He could not think of anything to say. The boy stood there, wondering what he could do to console the girl. Suddenly, his body grew stiff from shock as she wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her head against his chest. Jimmy stood there for a moment, wondering if his next action was correct. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around Eri's shoulders. Instead of pushing him away, she merely tightened her grip on him.

_Uh…this is a really awkward situation. _

"Jimmy?"

Said boy cocked his head so that he could that both Vincent and Marina were standing behind him, shooting him curious expressions.

"Oh, hey guys…how 'ya doing?" He smiled nervously.

A goofy smile spread across the blue haired girl's face, "Awww…do you have a girlfriend now? That's so cute!"

Jimmy was about to come up with a retort, but with surprising force, Eri shoved him away, causing him to stumble into the canal.

"We are not dating." She replied in a casual tone. One could hardly tell that she had been crying.

Jimmy groaned as he climbed onto the sidewalk, gasping for air.

"Oh, well too bad…" Marina sighed, "…come on Jimmy, we're leaving." She and Vincent began walking towards the harbor with Misdreavus hovering closely behind.

Jimmy rose to his feet, shaking his now soaked clothes out. He turned to Eri, who was smiling at him sweetly, "It was nice meeting you…"

"Same here…this is probably a stupid question…but, are you planning on visiting Alto Mare soon?" she asked, sounding a little nervous.

He smiled at her, "Probably not…but I promise to come back someday," She seemed to be let down by this news. He turned away from her, a soft smile on his face, "we'll…see you again someday." With that, the pokemon trainer sped off towards the harbor. Eri silently followed him, stopping at the docks. Jimmy boarded a boat, where Vincent and Marina were waiting for him. As the boat took off into the ocean, he waved at his newfound friend, who repeated the gesture to him.

"So is what Vincent said true?" Marina asked, leaning against the railing, "That some people stole a powerful object and almost destroyed Alto Mare?"

Jimmy nodded, "Yeah…"

"_And _I beat them up with my own two hands!" the blonde added.

Marina and Jimmy both glared at him, "We know you can't do that." They said in unison. The blonde sighed, wishing they had not said that. He looked when he noticed something strange.

"Hey, look at that."

The other two followed his finger. They were surprised by the sight before them. A Latios and Latias were flying towards Alto Mare.

"What're you those?" Marina asked.

Jimmy watched as they soared towards the city, "Latios…and…Latias…there are more of them?" Then he remembered the old man's story, which brought a smile onto his face. _So they vanished when the first Soul Dew was created, and now they have returned when a second has taken its place. _The sun was shining brightly above the ocean. The sky was a clear blue, with puffy white clouds dotting its surface. Everything turned out perfect…

**End of these movie chapters. Also, I wanted to add that Eri's design was based off of Aerith's from the **_**Final Fantasy **_**series. The biggest change is her hair. Instead of being in a braid, it is merely tied back. And the two bangs that hang behind her shorter front bangs, which are parted, are nonexistent (well, tied back, actually). Also, she did not have a pink bow. Last, she was wearing Aerith's dress from **_**Crisis Core**_**. And that is Eri's basic design. Please review and I shall update soon…**


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